Life of a Moony Lover: The Final Years, Loyalties
by PonygalBlack0911
Summary: Amy Griffon is the fifth Marauder. She has already been challenged but her final year at Hogwarts presents a terrifying trial of its own: life in the warring wizarding world. The ministry is corrupt, friendships are tested to the limit, no one knows who to trust. They must learn that loyalty is everything. COMPLETE
1. Of Returning and Reuniting

_Hi Readers! I'm back! This is the fourth and final installment into this series which consists of years one, two and five. If you haven't read them, please do although it isn't necessary to understand this fic. It will be forty chapters long and between 40,000 and 55,000 words. _**Please review, next update in two days!**

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It was an emotional day. I entered King's Cross station with my mum for the final time. My mum had tears in her cornflower blue eyes as she hugged me tightly to her slender frame. I kissed her cheek, drinking in her appearance which I would not see again until Summer. It was safest at Hogwarts in these troubled times.

"I love you mum", I whispered in her ear.

"Me too sweetheart, write as soon as you get a chance".

"I promise. Keep safe".

"I'll do my best."

My mum was a healer at St. Mungo's. We were quite alike in appearance. We were both of average height, had the same heart shaped face and the same chocolate coloured hair which she wore in a bob and I had down to my waist.

My father had passed away in my second year at Hogwarts. He had been a werewolf and died from injuries sustained from the full moon. Every time I saw my appearance, I was struck by my amber eyes, identical to his. I also bore his sallow skin. It was all I had left of him.

Both of my parents were magical, making me a pureblood. I was considered a 'blood-traitor' by society though and that instantly cancelled out the safety that came with my blood status.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I pushed my trolley which was heavily laden with my trunk and my eagle owl Athena's cage through the not so solid brick wall.

Platform 9¾ hadn't changed. It was one of the few things that hadn't. Wizarding Britain was in a state of crisis. The dark wizard Lord Voldemort was stronger than ever and it was a matter of time before he took charge of the ministry. He had more followers than ever, death eaters, werewolves, giants, dementors and vampires.

The war's effect was illustrated by the strain of the smiles on the parent's faces, premature grey hairs on their heads and wrinkles marring their young faces. No one escaped.

I was shaken out of my thoughts by the sight of the family before me. Charlus Potter was a tall and stately man with a greying mop of black hair and bright blue eyes. His wife Dorea also showed signs of age, her brown hair was streaked with grey and she had wrinkles on her forehead. Her hazel eyes were as kind as ever when they fixated upon me.

"Amy dear, how are you?" She asked kindly, embracing me like a daughter.

"I'm fine thank you Dorea, how is your sister, I was told that she was sick".

Mrs. Potter's eyes saddened.

"She passed away four days ago dear. Not many survive dragon pox at her age."

"I'm so sorry Dorea".

"Don't be silly dear, there was nothing anyone could have done. She died at home as she had wished. James and Sirius are over there with Peter. Here Charlus, make yourself useful and help Amy with her trunk." Dorea said, scolding her husband for his lack of manners.

"Thanks Charlus, goodbye Dorea, I'll write to you", I said, shaking the elderly man's hand.

"Do dear, we'll see you over the Summer".

"Amy!" A voice exclaimed. I was suddenly hoisted off my feet and swirled through the air. My surroundings blurred.

"Sirius, put me down! I'm dizzy!" I protested, feeling slightly queasy. "I swear to Merlin, I'll chop your hair off in your sleep". Needless to say, I was swiftly deposited back to the ground.

Sirius was as breathtakingly handsome as usual. His silky black hair fell into his stunning silver eyes and his grin displayed those perfect white teeth of his. Some people have everything.

"Faolan!" James Potter yelled, diving forward for a greeting hug of his own. Thankfully my feet remained firmly planted on the ground this time. James was referring to my Marauder nickname. In our fifth year, we successfully became animagi. Sirius was Padfoot, a grim-like dog; James was Prongs, a huge stag; Peter was Wormtail, a scurrying rat; I was Faolan, a wolf and Remus was Moony, a werewolf. How much more dysfunctional can you get? James' hair was as messy as usual and his hazel eyes sparkled with mischief that matched his lopsided grin.

"Pete", I welcomed, hugging the smaller boy in turn. Peter was a mousy-haired, chubby boy with watery blue eyes and a serious flatulence problem. The boy was a walking, talking dungbomb, useful for clearing corridors.

"Where's Moony?" James asked.

"Here", came a familiar voice. Remus came into view. He had grown over the Summer and was nearing Sirius' height. His tawny brown hair framed his scarred face. His chocolate eyes were as friendly as ever. And like the past two years, the very sight of him made my heart pound faster.

"Rem!" I squealed, throwing myself into his arms. "How was the full moon?" I whispered.

"Not great without you guys there. I've a new scar on my back", he muttered into my ear. I winced sympathetically and lessened my grip on his back.

"Come on, let's get a compartment before they're all taken", Peter suggested, indicating towards the scarlet red steam engine.

"Prongs has to be a good boy and go to the prefects meeting", Sirius said, as though obedience was a horrible thing that was to be avoided where possible.

"He's head boy, of course he has to go to the prefects meeting", Remus said rolling his eyes.

"At least Evans is head girl, that should liven things up a bit, eh Prongs", Sirius smirked. "That and the fact that you have to share a common room all by yourselves. It's your opportunity to finally get her!"

"It almost makes up for the fact that I have to leave you guys", James sighed, "you have to stay over".

"Don't worry, we will" Peter promised.

"Say hi to Lils for me", I told him as he turned to leave, "and don't be an arrogant prat". James laughed and headed for the prefects carriage. The rest of us found an empty compartment and wasted no time making ourselves at home. Sirius lounged across one seat, squishing poor Peter into the corner. Remus and I sat side by side opposite them.

"I wonder when the food trolley will come", Peter wished aloud, his stomach rumbling. I exchanged an amused look with Moony. Some things never change.


	2. Of Changing Bogarts

Hi Readers! Next update won't be until mid-July as I won't have acess to a computer until then. There's a double update today to hopefully make up for it. Please review!

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The first week at Hogwarts was incredibly busy. Every lesson began with "Now that you are in seventh year, you are expected to…" After the OWLs, I decided to continue with Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Charms, Transfiguration and Herbology, subjects which are recommended should one wish to become an Auror. I also continued with Care of Magical Creatures due to a love for the subject.

James was pushing Quidditch training harder than ever. He held a try-out for the position of beater on the third day to replace Alice Summer's boyfriend Frank Longbottom who graduated the year before. A fourth year by the name of Josh Barley got the position. James was captain and the lead chaser. The other chasers were Lucy Rivers, a fifth year and Nicola Barlow, a third year. Sirius was the second beater, his talent for mischief paying off in the air. Remus was keeper, a position that he acquired in fifth year. Since third year, I had been Seeker on my beloved Nimbus 1800. We were a formidable team and had won the Quidditch cup for the past two years. No doubt James wanted to leave on a high.

Classes were, for the first time, posing to be challenging. Potions in particular were never my forte and I was struggling with them more than ever. The theory could be learned off, but my brewing itself was as disastrous as ever. Sometimes I wondered how I managed to scrape an 'Exceeds Expectations' in my Potions OWL.

I had a natural talent for both transfiguration and Defence against the Dark Arts. In my fifth year at Hogwarts, I had discovered my natural aptitude for non-verbal and basic wandless magic when duelling in class. My Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher Professor Tyrell had helped me nurture the talent and I became quite accomplished at it.

Our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher was Professor Patrick O'Reilly, a half-blood wizard of Irish descent. He had spent the past five years travelling the world and gaining a vast experience in dealing with the Dark Arts in different cultures. His love for the subject was evident from the start and he was an organised man. He started out the week by revision of practical defence.

We were sitting in class, focusing on the red-haired teacher. Peter and James put two galleons on that he was a Weasley, but my three galleons argued that it was his Irish genes causing the flaming hair.

"Shut up and listen to what he's saying!" Remus whispered fiercely, scandalised by the thought of not hanging on to a teacher's every word. Sirius coughed something that sounded very much like 'pre-moon syndrome". I smothered a laugh.

"Today", Professor O'Reilly's friendly yet assertive voice continued, "We shall begin the revision of dealing with OWL level dark arts. First we shall encounter the boggart which you have not studied since your third year if I am correct. The boggart is almost guaranteed to appear on your paper as you are almost certain to encounter on during your life. Therefore it is necessary that you know how to banish it."

Remus and Lily were already scribbling down notes.

"Now, I was lucky enough to find a boggart in a room not far from here. I will send you down in pairs to deal with it. Meanwhile in class, I wish for the rest of you to take down what's on the board." He waved his wand and an essay manifested on the board. We all sighed; it was about two feet of parchment long.

"Right first to face the boggart shall be Miss Summers and Miss Evans. Kindly follow Mr Filch to the room where the boggart is". Alice and Lily rose from their seats and brandishing their wands, they left the room.

"I don't like boggarts", I admitted to Remus quietly.

"You're not supposed to. No one does", he smiled, squeezing my hand reassuringly.

I began to scribble down the essay, absolutely horrified by how detailed it was. It included a history, a physical description, a description of the effect of a boggart and how to deal with them. On a second glance, it could be shortened down considerably. I cursed as the ink blotted on the parchment.

I didn't have time to remedy it. Lily and Alice were back, both looking a little bit pale. Being confronted with your worst fear effected people quite badly.

"Miss Griffon and Mr Lupin, it's your turn", Professor O'Reilly announced, glancing at us briefly before focusing back on the work he was doing.

Remus and I got up and exited the room.

"It's second door on yar right", Filch instructed gruffly, clearly enjoying ordering students around.

"Thanks", Remus said. I just grumbled something incoherent, never having liked the grumpy caretaker. Anyone who doesn't appreciate Peeves' hard work and dedication in the school is a flobberworm in my books.

Remus noticed my murderous expression and chuckled. He put an arm over my shoulders and gently steered me away from Hogwart's version of the Grinch.

The Bogart had chosen to hang out in a closet. A large closet at that, but still dark and dreary. There was a small wooden chest in the corner, padlocked shut. It rattled slightly, as though something was trying to claw its way out.

"I presume it's in that", Remus said.

"Yeah, where else would it be", I agreed.

"Do you want to go first?" He offered courteously, but by the way he was gripping his wand I could see that he was eager for action. I smiled.

"No it's okay, go on ahead".

"Thanks, I've been itching to do some defence. Stand back."

Flicking my wand, although I didn't strictly need to, I opened the chest. My wand was quite special. When I turned eleven, my mother somehow managed to procure one of my father's hairs when he transformed into a werewolf. She gave it to Ollivander with the instructions to make a wand suitable for me using it as the core. Ollivander seized the challenge and spent three months tweaking the wand. I ended up with a twelve inch wand made out of acacia which Ollivander warned me was a temperamental wand wood which would more than likely refuse to perform magic for anyone other than myself. It is unyielding which apparently counteracts the hot-headed nature of the wand.

I was distracted by the appearance of the boggart which unsurprisingly took the form of a full moon. Remus' face was firm as he deftly flicked his wand at it, chanting the curse designed to banish it. He transformed it into a balloon and laughed harshly before I forced it back into the trunk.

"You okay?" I asked him sympathetically, taking note of his wide eyes and pale complection.

"I'm fine, it's your turn", he brushed off my concern and flashed me a smile to reassure me.

I took Remus' place opposite the looming chest. He released the creature just as I had done. I frowned for a moment when nothing appeared.

Suddenly a horrific flash of green light illuminated the entire room. Goosebumps erupted all over my arms. Remus was before me. His face was as white as a ghost, his mouth open slightly. He collapsed, lifeless to the ground, stiff, cold, never to move again.

I fell to the ground before him.

"R-Riddikulus!" I sobbed, choking on the lump which had formed in my throat. "Riddikulus!" Tears leaked from my eyes.

He was so pale. I'd never hear him again. Never laugh with him again. Never get the chance to tell him how much I love him.

"Amy, shush, it's all right". His voice was reassuring, but sounded so far away. "Riddikulus", he said firmly. Remus' limp form vanished and I exhaled shakily, trying to regain control.

The real Remus kneeled before me, his own face pale. "Amy it's okay. It's not real. I'm here".

My boggart had changed. My worst fear was his departure. I launched myself at him, hugging him tightly, breathing in his chocolate scent.

"Don't leave me", I whispered.

"I won't", he swore.


	3. Of Ruless and Self-Appointed Bodyguards

That precise moment was when I realised that I couldn't possibly live without Remus Lupin.

"Moony", I asked cautiously, "What does Faolan mean? You came up with it so quickly. Had you been thinking about it for a while?"

He tensed in my arms. I looked up at him, his gaze bore into mine, sending a new wave of goosebumps up my arms.

"Yeah, I had been. Amy…it means 'little wolf' in Irish" he squeezed my arm gently. My father had always called me Little Wolf. I was completely speechless.

"You said in our second year that one day you would tell me what memory you use to conjure a patronus. Is today the day?" I asked gently, holding back tears. He considered this for a moment.

"It depends".

"On what?" I frowned, expecting something noble like 'the outcome of the war'.

"On how you take this."

I didn't get a chance to ask what 'this' was because Remus Lupin pushed my long chocolate hair out of my face and brought his lips to mine. Too stunned to move, he began to pull away, fearing rejection. My lips curved into a grin and I kissed him back fiercely, a two year crush fuelling my passion. My arms snaked around his neck and his somehow found their way to my waist where they rested contently.

He eventually pulled back to gasp for air.

"That went well", he commented, flashing me a rare glimpse of the trademark Marauder grin that usually only appeared on James and Sirius. I blushed.

"My memory was of you. Just of you as a person. Going about your everyday business, smiling, laughing studying it didn't matter what you were doing. Being around you made me happy I guess", he admitted, bowing his head slightly out of embarrassment. Without thinking I planted a kiss on his mouth.

"Remus Lupin you are the nicest, kindest person I have ever met", I declared, flinging myself back into his arms. I noticed my watch. "Shit! We'd better get back to class!"

"Em, Amy?"

"Yes Moony."

"D'you wanna come to Hogsmeade with me?" He asked nervously.

"Of course I do", I grinned, "But you have to break it to James and Sirius". Since my bad break-up with Ravenclaw Liam Donovan in fifth year, the two raven haired boys had taken it upon themselves to be my personal boyfriend bodyguards despite my protests. Remus winced in anticipation of the 'older brother' lecture about 'don't touch my sister' that he was sure to endure later that evening.

"Deal".

I had predicted the Marauder's reaction but nothing could have prepared me for the girl's celebration. I was instantly smothered in a big group hug. Emmeline Vance merely said 'congratulations' before returning to her study. She was the most distant out of all of us, spending more time with Ravenclaws than the Lions. She had pale skin, brown shoulder length hair and intelligent brown eyes.

Marlene McKinnon instantly began rooting through our trunks for a suitable outfit. She was the fashion mad one in our group. She had long blonde hair, eyes the colour of the sea and a figure that left every guy drooling and every girl green with envy.

"What to choose?" She pondered aloud.

"Nothing too revealing, it's bloody September after all", I said quickly. This quickly censored out almost everything belonging to Marlene herself.

Lily and Alice were still enthusing on how cute a couple Remus and I would be.

"Oooh, imagine the children!" Lily said.

"With Remus' gorgeous hair and Amy's stunning eyes", Alice added.

"Hey Al, paws off, you've a boyfriend of your own", I said mockingly. Alice Summers was a small tomboyish girl with jet black hair in a pixie cut and huge sapphire eyes framed by inky black eyelashes.

"Oh and Lily, how's 'Potter' these days?" I added casually, preparing myself for an explosion. Lily narrowed her emerald green eyes. Her temperament matched her long waving fiery red hair. Although she was probably the smartest person in the school, she was liable to combust at the mention of the J word. J standing for James of course. But funnily enough, this time she didn't launch into the usual long and tedious speech. She didn't even groan in despair at the sound of his name.

"I've got it!" Marlene exclaimed.

"Got what?" I frowned.

"Your outfit. Duh."

Marlene had picked out a pair of my own grey skinny jeans which she paired with a long blue top of Lily's and her own short black spiky heeled boots. Emmeline glanced at the outfit and carelessly tossed me a set of blue robes which she no doubt bought to blend in with her Ravenclaw friends. I was touched by the rare act of kindness from the usually aloof girl.

"Thanks Emmeline." She waved a dismissive hand.

"No bother."

Marlene demanded permission to do my hair for me. She untangled the knots and left it in soft curls that tumbled to my waist. Lily then applied subtle makeup, outlining my eyes and painting my lips.

"You'd better not smudge this too much", she warned.

"I can't guarantee that", I laughed.

Gryffindor common room was a hive of activity as it always was prior to a Hogsmeade visit. The girls hugged me goodbye, leaving me to the Marauders. James and Sirius insisted on standing on either side of me to 'intimidate' Remus.

Remus himself soon arrived.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked me.

"Hold on!" barked Sirius.

"Yes, we've to lay down a few rules…um not that you are to 'lay down' at any point", James waffled.

"Yeah, rule one: no 'laying down'", Peter piped up. We ignored him, it was irritating when he copied James.

"Rule two: no holding hands", Sirius continues, oblivious to our intertwined fingers.

"Rule number three: no snogging", James added.

"Finally and most importantly, rule number four: no baby-making", Sirius listed, shooting Remus with a warning glare. Remus and I spluttered."But if you happen to breach that one, I call dibs on Godfather!"

"Okay, whatever, we're going", I shrugged, recovering from my sudden coughing fit.

"Hey! Violation of rule number two!" Sirius roared, pointing at our joined hands with a look of disgust written on his face.

"Maybe we can let them off for that one mate", James whispered loudly to Sirius, "after all, holding hands doesn't get someone pregnant." I blushed. Remus dragged me away whilst they were occupied, seemingly oblivious to the nature of their conversation. Or perhaps he just didn't want to mention it.

We began the short walk to Hogsmeade. It was a strange transition from best friends to going on a date. I was unsure as to how to act.

Luckily the tension was broken when the white cottage of Madame Puddifoot's came into view. The door and windows were pink and framed by frilly curtains. Moony saw where my gaze was resting and visibly shivered. He gulped.

"Do you want to go there?" He asked courteously.

"Merlin no, it''s horrible there!" I exclaimed, pulling a face, "I was hoping to restock in Zonko's."

"See that's what I love about you", he grinned, pulling me in for a kiss and successfully breaching rule number three. Zonko's was packed with Hogwarts protégé pranksters. I began filling Remus' willing arms with dungbombs and also purchased a realistic fake mouse which we could use to distract Mrs. Norris without putting Wormtail's life at risk. I parted with eight galleons to pay for the lot.

"Fancy a butterbeer?" I asked.

"Sure, but I need to go to Honeyduke's too, I'm out of chocolate!"

"Poor Moony can't function without his chocolate fix for the day!" I teased, tweaking his cheek.

"Yup. My name is Remus Lupin and aside from being a werewolf, I'm a chocoholic", he said seriously, his face poker straight. I laughed.

"Well come on then, last one there has to tell James and Sirius where to shove their 'rules'!" With that, I raced past him.

"Cheater!" He roared.

The chase was on.

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Author's note: I know it may seem as though they began dating too early but bear in mind that I have already written over 78,000 words in this series and I couldn't wait any longer! Please review!


	4. Of Doubts and Lily's Magic

_I'm back! I am so sorry for the long wait, it won't happen again, next update will be within a few days. Thank you so much for the lovely reviews, please keep them coming. As for filling in the missing years, I honestly have no plans for doing so although I can see myself doing some one-shots. I probably won't do another series. Anyway, enough rambling, here's chapter 4!_

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**Remus POV**

Well, I was officially the luckiest guy in the planet. Amy Griffon was my girlfriend. The Hogsmeade date had had a rocky start but by the end things were going swimmingly. We had a great laugh in the Three Broomsticks. At one point I fell under the table I was laughing so hard at her impressions. She did a brilliant Hagrid impression. The funniest thing was that even Hagrid himself was laughing.

She was a best friend and girlfriend rolled into one.

It was difficult to ignore the blatant mutterings that followed us as we walked down a corridor hand in hand. Especially as what they were saying was true. How did a plain guy like me manage to snag the stunning brunette with top marks and a wicked sense of humour? I'm still not sure of the answer to that myself. Who the hell dates a werewolf when anyone else would gladly have them?

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We were eating in the Great Hall. Amy was beside me, chatting animatedly to James who was sitting opposite her. They were comparing plans on how to prank the long-suffering caretaker. Peter was hanging off their every word.

Amy and James would make such a great couple if he weren't so infatuated with Lily. Sirius would be well suited to her though. Apart from making a handsome couple, they would be part of the elite pureblood circle. A Black and a Griffon. His family would be begging for him to return to them. His recklessness would balance out her bookish tendencies.

Lily noticed my faraway look and furrowed brow. She quirked an eyebrow as if to say 'something the matter?'

"Remus, do you mind proofreading that essay I was telling you about?" Lily asked, standing up. For that matter, I didn't recall a conversation about an essay but that clearly wasn't the answer that she was looking for so I had to go along with whatever that brilliant mind of hers was thinking.

"Yeah."

"Come on outside where it's quieter", Lily said. I nodded and bent down to kiss Amy on the cheek before following her into the courtyard. We sat side by side on a windowsill.

"Remus what's wrong? Don't say 'nothing' because I know you and you haven't been yourself this morning." Lily was as observant as usual. She was like Professor McGonagall in that retrospect.

"Lily, in your opinion, do Amy and I actually make a good couple?" I asked, struggling to conceal my desperation. She looked horrified.

"Oh Merlin Remus, you're not planning on breaking up with her, are you?" She gasped.

"No! No, I couldn't, but please answer my question."

"Remus, you're both so alike. You are both clever, witty and studious people. She even knows about your condition!" Lily said. Lily had known about my lycanthropy since our third year when she figured it out herself. I confirmed her theory in our fifth year when she 'counselled' each of the Marauders. We hadn't been speaking for several weeks after Sirius told Snape how to get to the Shrieking Shack. I still had nightmares about that incident.

"Lily I know all of that and thanks for reassuring me but I just can't condemn her to a life with me. It's all right here at Hogwarts, no one knows what I am other than you guys but in the real world I will find it impossible to get a job. No one wants to hire a werewolf Lily and it's not something that you can hide from your employer. I'm on the register. I will barely be able to support myself, never mind someone else. Amy deserves better." I could feel tears welling in my eyes at the sheer unfairness of it all. I furiously blinked, not willing to let them fall.

"That's all fine and well Remus, but think about Amy here!" Lily snapped, her voice uncharacteristically harsh. I blinked.

"That's what I'm doing!" I half-yelled.

"No Remus Lupin,you're being a coward. Man up! Amy could have chosen any boy she wanted and she chose you. You, not a poncy Ravenclaw, not a mellow Hufflepuff, not a stinking Slytherin. She chose you! Don't let her down now. You two are made for each other, it's scary! I am banning you from flipping dumping her and if you do, I swear to Merlin the consequences will not be pleasant", Lily threatened, breathing heavily, her nostrils flaring.

That's when my temper ignited.

"Lily, I hate to break it to you, but if I don't leave her now, I will bloody let her down every day of her life! I won't be able to afford to buy her what she wants, give her the quality of life that she deserves. She belongs with a rich pureblood who can keep her safe. I'm dangerous, always have been, always will be. I'm a bloody werewolf!" I roared back at the surprised witch before me.

"Her dad was a werewolf", Lily hissed back, somehow the softness being more ominous and threatening than the shouting. "And yet her parents had a brilliant relationship because they loved each other. Remus Lupin, you should know more than anyone that money can't buy happiness. You'll get a job somewhere. It may not be fancy or pay well but I know you and you will fight for your rightful place in this world and if Amy has any say in this, she will be by your side all the way."

"It's up to you now, but you will break that girl's heart if you break up with her and it won't be only me that you'll have to face if you do. You'll have the Marauders to answer to and they won't be one bit happy."

Lily's eyes met mine. Her emerald eyes were harsh and bore no sympathy. I deflated.

"Lily, you're right. You always are. I'm being an ass. I'll talk to Amy later and tell her all of this but I won't break up with her. I'll leave her to make that decision. Thanks for setting me straight." I kept my gaze fixed on the floor, so ashamed for having so little faith in the strength of my relationship with Amy. I felt eternally grateful for having Lily to put everything into perspective for me.

"You're welcome Remus, I'm just glad I could help." Lily smiled, and when she hugged me any lingering doubts vanished. Amy was the one, our matching patronuses proved that. So what if we hit bumps on the way. We belonged together. I vowed to myself that I would do whatever it would take to be with her. I would fight by her side against death eaters, get a job even if it was cleaning toilets and I would never let my mental indecision cloud my judgement again.


	5. Of Letters, Tears and Warm Hands

_A bit more of Lily in this chapter, hope you enjoy. Please review!_

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**Lily POV**

Several weeks after I had reassured Remus about his relationship with Amy, an incident occurred that changed the course of my life forever.

I had awoken at the crack of dawn to my alarm clock screaming in my ear. I had a shower and got shampoo in my eye, making it all bloodshot and giving me the look of a crazy woman. I cursed at the pain and flung a book against the wall which helped to quench my anger. I got dressed and settled in the Head common room, with the intention to read a chapter of my charms book before I went down for breakfast.

Unfortunately, my wish for a peaceful half hour was somewhat ruined by the appearance of the Head Boy. He ruffled his already untidy mop of black hair and collapsed on to the sofa beside me, an impish grin splitting his face. I noticed a dimple on his left cheek which was surprisingly adorable.

"Hey Evans, are you all right? There was quite a commotion coming from your room this morning. What are you keeping up there? A hippogriff?" And then a thought struck him, which instantly wiped the grin of his face. "Wait, you were _alone_ up there, weren't you?"

I just couldn't resist. I made my face as relaxed and poker straight as I could. Keeping my eyes trained on my book I replied.

"Actually no, Sirius came to visit last night." I ignored his splutters. "We had a great time. I just love his hair, it's so silky." At this point James Potter was the colour of beetroot. I just had to go that extra mile. "Not to mention his abs, who knew that Quidditch training would pay off so well? I must thank you, your horrendous training schedule has paid off-at least for Sirius anyway."

And with that, I skipped off, leaving a quivering James Potter in my wake.

I went to classes that day with a spring in my step at having out-smarted the leader of the Marauders. I told Amy what I had done in potions, she almost ruined the veritaserum that we were preparing she was laughing so hard. Sirius made a flamboyant winking gesture at me, causing Ja-, I mean Potter, to smack him with the cauldron on the back of his head.

Unfortunately, Potter hadn't thought that through very well and spilled a boiling hot potion all over himself and Sirius in a very sensitive spot. They proceeded to squeal like piglets, and covering their crotches with their hands, they raced to the Hospital Wing. Amy and I burst out laughing. Remus failed to supress a smile whereas Peter looked unsure as to whether to follow them or not.

After dinner I went to visit Hagrid. I had befriended the gentle half-giant in my second year at Hogwarts when I had a detention with him. Our mutual love for living creatures gave us a bond and I frequently visited him for a chat, a cup of tea and to see what marvellous creature he was currently caring for.

Hagrid was outside when I found him. He was in the outskirts of the forbidden forest, not far from where he showed me hippogriffs. He stood beside a magically enforced enclosure. Inside it was a magnificent horse, as black as night with startling gold eyes and goats horns on its head. Its ebony mane was wild and tangled. It looked quite deranged and trotted around the perimeter of its enclosure, shouting obscenities in a human voice with a distinct Irish accent.

"It's a Pooka", Hagrid explained, "It's an Irish fairy, famous fer robbin' crops. Makes ev'ryone afraid of 'em. Got 'im of a friend o' mine in Hog's Head, wanted rid o' him fer some reason. Jus' gotta feed him whisky every hour. He's not too bad, aren't yeh boy?"

"That's interesting Hagrid, I've read about them. Some potions require a hair from their tail in them but they're awfully hard to get and they're very expensive. You should ask Professor Slughorn if he would like some." I told him, looking up at Hagrid.

"Yeh're awfully kind, Lily. Always thinkin' o' others. I'll go and do tha' now, so I will." He smiled.

I was just heading back for the dormitory when a black owl pecked at a window. I frowned and let it in. He hopped onto my arm and ruffled its feathers. It was from the post office. I undid the fastener and took the scroll. The owl flew out the window again.

_Dear Lily,_

_ Petunia and Vernon are engaged. They told us yesterday. They have set the date for May. Sweetheart, I'm really sorry, your father and I tried our best to persuade her to change it but she doesn't seem to want you to be there. _

_ I hope your friends are well and that classes haven't gotten too difficult._

_ Love as always,_

_ Mum_

I shouted out with frustration and punched the wall. I felt knuckles crack but I ignored them and slumped against the wall. The words blurred through tears. I sobbed and ripped the parchment into pieces.

My sister didn't want me at her wedding. And neither did her whale of a future husband. It was the ultimate stab in the back. I had never done anything to her, why the hell did she hate me so much?

I stayed sitting against the wall, hugging my knees to my chest. It was cold. I had goosebumps along my arms but I stayed there, completely lost in my thoughts.

"Lily?" A voice called. "Thank Merlin you're here, I was really worried about you".

It was James Potter. Great.

"Lily, what's wrong? Have you been crying?" He asked, his voice surprisingly soft and gentle. He actually sounded like he cared.

"No."

"You're a really bad liar, Evans", he smiled, sitting down on the cold stone floor beside me. "What happened? It must have taken something big to shake you up so badly."

"It's my sister", I answered in a monotonal voice.

"Petunia. Is she okay?" He asked, his voice positively dripping with concern.

"How do you know her name?" I frowned, momentarily distracted from my emotional breakdown.

"Amy told me. Is she okay?" He repeated. He raked a hand through his hair. He always did that when he was nervous.

"She's fine. She's engaged."

He looked confused. "But isn't that a good thing? Why were you crying?" His hazel eyes scanned my face from behind his glasses for clues.

"She doesn't want me to go to the wedding", my voice trembled and I swallowed a lump in my throat. "She h-hates me." Potter scooted closer and grabbed one of my hands in two of his. His hands were really warm.

"Lily Evans, how can anyone hate you? Especially your sister. You're the nicest, smartest most kind-hearted person that I know." I smiled briefly.

"She hates me because I have magic and she doesn't." And then it all came tumbling out. I didn't know why I was telling James Potter out of all people but he was a bloody good listener. He stayed silent throughout my rant about my childhood and Snape and Dursley, only his facial expressions betraying his thoughts. Eventually I ran out of things to say.

"Lily, she's jealous of you and the special life that you have. You're part of a world that she wants to be in but can't. She's bitter. It's not your fault." He consoled. I had somehow ended up in his arms. He rubbed soothing circles on my lower neck.

"Thanks James", I said softly.

"I'm here for you Lily. Always." He whispered back, tentatively pressing his lips to the top of my head. For some reason, I found that I didn't mind because at that moment, in James Potters' arms of all places, I felt warm and _loved_.


	6. Of Assignments, Dates and Dresses

_One of my favourite chapters to write, I hope that you all enjoy it. Please review!_

* * *

I was at a desk beside Remus in the library, poring over a Herbology assignment that was due for the next day when a harassed looking James appeared at my side.

"Amy", he whispered, eyeing Madame Pince with trepidation, "Lily needs you, she's upset. Follow me." I narrowed my eyes with suspicion, was this a prank? But one glance at his earnest expression convinced me otherwise. I closed over my books and roughly shoved them into my bag. Remus started and looked up.

"I'll see you later Moony", I said, kissing him sweetly on the lips. He smiled at me briefly before returning to his potions essay, the one that I still hadn't done and that I had been putting off for two days. I could almost smell a 'Dreadful' coming along.

James led me through the nearly empty corridors to the Head dormitories. Their common room was almost an exact replica of the Gryffindor common room, featuring a distinct red and gold colour scheme. It was smaller and cosier, illuminated by the glow of ornate lamps and the warm open fire. Lily was slumped in a big squashy armchair, staring vacantly into the distance.

"Lils?" I asked, my voice betraying my concern. Lily jumped, clearly having been unaware of my presence. James perched on the arm of her chair and draped his arm over her shoulders. My eyebrows raised when I saw that she did nothing to shrug him off. "Lils, what's wrong?"

She turned to face me and sniffed. Her beautiful emerald eyes were bloodshot and brimming with fresh tears.

"P-Petunia's engaged to that b-bastard Dursley and she w-won't invite me to the w-wedding. She bloody h-hates me!" With that she burst into tears. James moved as though to hug her but I got there first. I embraced her tightly.

"Lilypop, it's okay. Petunia's a bitch, always has been, always will be. Alice, Marlene and I are your sisters now. We won't abandon you because of something that you can't help. Your magic is part of you, Petunia's just jealous." I soothed. I glared at James over her shaking shoulder, prompting him to say something.

"Amy's right Lils, what sort of sister leaves their only sibling out of their wedding? She's clearly not worth it. We'll be your family now." He said gently. My astonishment was growing, when the hell had James gotten so sensitive? The Head Boy business was getting to his head. Lily let go of me and turned to look up at him. She smiled weakly.

"Thanks guys, you're the best."

"We try", I laughed.

"Lily, I've a question. Will you go to the Christmas dance with me-as friends?" James asked cautiously. I didn't blame his nerves, in the past that question led to him being jinxed all of the way to the Hospital Wing. Lily considered it for a moment.

"Sorry Potter but no", Lily frowned. His face fell. "But we can go as more than friends. You've got yourself a dance partner, although I must warn you-I've got two left feet", she said, a resemblance of her character seeping back into her voice. James' face broke into the biggest grin I had ever seen.

"I can deal with that", he said, kissing her cheek sweetly.

After almost seven years of trying, James Potter had finally suceeded in snatchinga date with Lily Evans. It was as though he had over dosed on a cheering charm.

* * *

A week later, we dedicated our Hogsmeade outing to finding outfits for the ball. Remus had asked me to the dance with a huge bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates. Alice didn't have a partner due to her relationship with Frank but I promised to lend her Remus for a dance or two. Sirius made a grand gesture out of charming the ceiling in the Great Hall to read 'Marlene McKinnon, will you go to the dance with me?' The blushing blonde beauty accepted. Emmeline was partnered with a Ravenclaw called Adam Winshaw.

Armed with bags of gold, we stormed through Hogsmeade trying on every dress that we came into contact with. Emmeline was first to strike gold. She picked up a beautiful silk halter neck dress. It was a metallic purple colour and fell to just above the ground. Her back was bare but the halter neck straps met at the back. She purchased a pair of strappy silver heels to wear with it. It suited her and made the most out of her willowy physique.

Alice was next to find her dress. It was a full length dress royal blue in colour with a sweetheart neckline. It hugged her curves that were usually hidden beneath baggy clothing. It featured a slit outlined by bling that revealed her slim legs, emphasising her motto to live life on the edge. She too paired her dress with a pair of killer silver heels that boosted her height.

Marlene's dress was positively made for her. It was one shouldered and the strap crossed over her back leaving a diamond shaped gap in the dress displaying her creamy skin. It was pale pink in colour and flecked with raspberry pink, oranges and purples. It cost her a fortune, and she could barely afford a pair of purple wedges. Luckily, the dress reached the ground so you couldn't see her shoes anyway. She was delighted with her purchase.

Towards the end of the day, Lily found her dress. It fitted her like a glove. It was shimmering bronze in colour and fitted tightly, accenting her enviable curves. The neckline plunged down to her chest. It was dangerous and dynamic, just like Lily. James was going to collapse when he saw her.

Just when I had given up on finding a dress, a flash of scarlet caught my eye. It fit like a second skin. It had a plunging sweetheart neckline and clung to my body, flowing out at the end in a ruffling mermaid's tail. I teamed it with gold skyscraper hels and gold jewellery. I looked like an ambassador for Gryffindor house. I didn't mind, I was house proud.

* * *

Two days later, the day arrived. Marlene was our make-up artist who transformed our features with a combination of muggle and magical cosmetics. Her mother had sent her these weird muggle fake eyelashes for Christmas and since then she was addicted to them. She glued them to our eyelids. It was weird, you could see a curtain of black every time that you looked up but apparently they were in fashion. She gave us glowing skin and either bold eyes or lips.

Lily and I were in charge of hair. There wasn't much that we could do with Alice's short pixie cut so we used a potion that left her ebony locks in tip top condition. We curled Marlene's gold hair and pinned half of it up in an elaborate do, leaving the rest flowing down her back. I straightened Emmeline's dark brown hair. It just about reached her shoulders. We tied some of it back from her face with a clip that she had bought.

Lily's hair was trickier. I decided to use a combination of curling and backcombing to give her a wild, sexy look. Lily left my long chocolate hair in its waves, detangling it and curling some of it. She pinned it so that it would hang over one shoulder, giving me a classic red carpet look.

We were ready to make our grand entrance.


	7. Of Dancing, Skating & The Marauders Map

_Chapter 7, the longest chapter yet! Please review, it's very much appreciated!_

* * *

We descended the staircase together, our dates waiting in the common room for us. The boys were dressed in their finest dress robes and scrubbed up very well. Other girls were eyeing them appreciatively and sending us death glares.

James' eyes widened when he caught a glimpse of Lily. He struggled to remain calm and managed to kiss her delicately on her hand. She smiled radiantly at him.

Remus' mouth actually dropped open when he saw me. He pulled me into him.

"You look gorgeous", he whispered into my ear. He nipped it with his teeth. I grinned and hungrily attacked his lips. He eagerly responded and ran his tongue along my lower lip.

"Um guys, we kinda have to go to the Great Hall now", James said, scratching his head. He looked around for assistance. Sirius came to his rescue.

"Oi! You two over there, either get a room or come with us now!" Sirius ever the sensitive one roared at us from beside Marlene. I groaned with embarrassment and hid my face in Remus' chest. He laughed.

* * *

The Great Hall had been decorated for the occasion. Hagrid had placed a dozen of the biggest Christmas trees strategically in the room. Professor Flitwick had decorated them artistically, charming them to quite literally sparkle. Long tables heavily laden with the House Elves' hard work outlined the perimeter of the room. There was a stage prepared for the music. The ceiling mimicked that of a snowy day and fairies flew about sprinkling everyone with glittering fairy dust.

The dance floor was already crowded with people, waiting for the music to start. At precisely eight o'clock, the orchestra began to play a waltz.

"Want to dance?" Remus asked me.

"Of course, but you know me, I'm a rubbish dancer." I pulled a face.

"I'll lead you, just try not to step on my feet too much", he smiled, and then he adverted his gaze to his feet. "Well toes, it's been nice knowing you!"

"You arse!" I complained, half-heartedly hitting his arm. He winked and picked up my hands, putting them around his neck. He rested his hands on my lower back, pulling me close to him. We swayed on the spot for several minutes. He rested his chin on top of my head. We fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle.

"Hey Rem", I whispered.

"Yeah."

"Look how rubbish Lily and James are at dancing!" The couple were attempting some lively step but were failing miserably and clearly having the time of their lives in doing so. Lily's face was alight with excitement and James was roaring with laughter, his dimples visible even at the distance. Their faces were slightly red with exertion. They were in a world of their own and looked as though they were having the time of their lives.

"Can we do that?" I asked, sounding like a toddler.

"We can try", Remus chuckled, and casting one last sympathetic look at his toes, he launched me into an elaborate spin. I shrieked as he ducked me so low that my shoulder tapped the floor. He tossed me from one move to another and slowly I began to relax and truly enjoy seeing the lighter side of Remus which had almost disappeared with all of the stress we were submitted to.

Suddenly I found myself in the grasp of a grinning Sirius Black. He was a very capable dancer thanks to Walburga Black's dancing tutor and had no problem holding a conversation whilst whisking me through a lively tango.

"Amy", he whispered, "We've just hatched a plan for a bit of a prank." I grinned at him.

"Great, what is it?" I replied under my breath.

"We're going to…make an ice-rink. In the Great Hall. In ten minutes." His smug smirk led me to believe that it was his idea. If this worked out, we would never hear the end of it.

"Ok, do the others know?"

"Yeah, I just told them. Decided to leave the other girls out of it though. Secrecy is key to a good prank and Godric knows, Evans would probably tattle to McGonagall." His eyes flashed nervously to the stunning redhead. I rolled my eyes.

"We can trust Lily you know. And we could do with her charms skills for this one. Sure we can transfigure the floor but we need charms to keep it cool enough so that it won't melt. She's a natural, come on." I pointed out. He sighed heavily, I knew that I had won him over. "Great!" I beamed, "I'll go tell her now."

"Okay", he agreed reluctantly, "But be quick about it. Meet us by the tree decorated with gingerbread men in three minutes." I met his earnest silver eyes, nodded briefly and made my way through the dancing students to where Lily and James were dancing. I shot James a glance and indicated towards Lily. He frowned with confusion.

"Lils, we need your help", I said to her. She was beaming with happiness.

"Sure, what do you want me to do?" I crossed my fingers for good luck.

"We're going to transfigure the floor into an ice-rink and we need you to charm it so that it won't melt." I said it quickly as though to soften the blow. I waited for the explosion but when I looked up she was still grinning.

"I'll do it", she agreed. There was a mischievous glint in her emerald eyes. James' eyes widened and his mouth opened. I wasn't too surprised though, I knew that Lily was a Marauder at heart.

And then James pounced on Lily and did what he had been wanting to do since he had first laid his eyes on her.

He kissed her.

Everone watching fell silent, waiting to see how Lily would react. The redhead astounded everyone by responding eagerly to James' surprise attack.

"Em guys, break it up, you can finish that up later. We have an ice-rink to make!" I hissed. They pulled apart, red faced and smiled at each other.

We joined the rest of the Marauders and quickly discussed a plan. It was brilliant. We got into our respective positions around the hall. I quickly transfigured my shoes into skates.

"Glasseo", we chanted quietly as the clock struck ten. Minutes later, the floor took on a glossy sheen and students were tripping left right and centre, arms flailing, shrieking and eventually laughing. Having copied my skate idea, the Marauders and Lily skated gracefully onto the ice. We kept our balance and put on a rather good performance for the shell-shocked crowd. Then Professor Dumbledore transfigured his shoes and he too began to dance on the ice. Everyone else followed his lead and soon we were all having the time of our lives.

Unfortunately, our success was short-lived when a livid Filch grabbed James and I roughly by the arm. There was practically steam coming from his flaring nostrils.

"Come to my office. Now." He seemed beyond anger. He could barely get the words through his gritted teeth. He released us and pushed the six of us in the direction of the door. I exchanged a worried look with Remus who seized my hand for comfort.

We trailed towards the caretaker's office. The silence was deafening. You could cut the tension with a well placed _diffindo_.

I was chewing on the inside of my cheek, wondering what horrors that Filch would have in store for us. Then an idea hatched in my mind. An idea so ludicrous that it would work. It wouldn't get us out of trouble, but it would help…someone…some day.

We entered the caretaker's dimly lit, grubby office. I deliberately positioned myself as close to the desk drawer as I could.

"Offenders: Potter, Black, Lupin, Griffon, Evans, Pettigrew. Crime: turning Great Hall into an ice-rink. Suggested Punishment: Beheading. Allowed Punishment: Detention with Hagrid in Forbidden Forest. Yeh's won't like it in there!" He was grinning like a maniac. I fought to keep my expression neutral. The Forbidden Forest couldn't scare the likes of us!

I edged closer to the desk. I quickly and silently nicked the parchment from Remus' pocket. He frowned and sent me a questioning look. I made a shush gesture and winked to reassure him. He looked sceptical.

Ever so slowly, I opened the desk drawer and deposited the Marauder's Map in it. I pressed two fingers to the map, bidding it farewell and wishing it the best on its future unpredictable journey.

Eventually, Filch let us go.

"What the hell did you do?" He whispered fiercely. The others were looking on in confusion.

"I can explain", I said in a steady, smug voice.

"Why the hell did you put the map in his drawer?" He hissed. The Marauder's expression darkened. Lily looked confused.

"Em, can someone tell me what's so special about this map?" She asked. James launched into an explanation, sending me death glares.

"Look, what use would the map be to us once we leave Hogwarts? I figured that if I left it in Filch's drawer than it will end up in a pranksters hands. Who else would break into his drawers?" I explained. Comprehension dawned on everyone's faces. Lily looked slightly in awe of us.

The Marauders Map would end up in good hands.

The Marauders' legacy would live on.


	8. Of Parchment, Orders and Fawkes

_Hi Readers! Thanks for the reviews._

* * *

Several weeks passed and soon it was February. The snow that had covered the Scottish hills melted and rain replaced it. The frosty atmosphere hadn't left the castle. Death Eater attacks occurred almost every second day and about once a fortnight a student received a letter in a black envelope informing them of the death of a loved one.

It was heart breaking to watch.

Alice Summers was one of those students. Her father, a highly placed Auror had been a target for several months. Her mother had been a skilled Healer. It had taken five death eaters to take out the deadly couple and only two of the masked invaders survived. That did nothing to soften Alice's loss. If anything, it made her more determined to become an Auror and kill the bastards that made her an orphan.

Alice's loss spurred us all into action. We studied and practiced like mad people. Desperation set in to get those all important 'Outstandings' that would decide whether or not we could become Aurors and defend our loved ones.

Unlike the O.W.L's, this time I didn't need Lily to force me to study. Neither did the boys. We studied together in the Head common room where it was more peaceful. We all knew how vital this was. It would decide our futures.

I was surrounded by a fortress of books. I was absorbed in my charms textbook, using it to write an essay longer than Professor Flitwick was tall. Lily was hidden behind a four feet high fortress of books. She was reading a page of each and then turning all of the pages together using her wand.

Without warning there was a knock on the door.

James groaned and stretched. He clambered to his feet and opened the door. It was Marlene, Emmeline and Alice.

"Professor Dumbledore wants to see us for some reason", Alice said, glancing approvingly at the sight of us studying.

"Why? We didn't do anything. Did we?" Peter asked, worry etched into his chubby features.

"We don't know, he told us to get you all. He sent a pair of Hufflepuffs to get three Ravenclaws as well." Marlene replied, flicking a strand of her long golden hair over her shoulder. She smiled at Sirius who winked at her.

"Well we'd better not keep him waiting", Lily said, spurring the rest of us into action. Only Dumbledore could get between Lilt and her study.

The apprehensive conversation halted as we ascended the spiral staircase leading to Dumbledore's office. His office hadn't changed in the seven years we had been in Hogwarts. The round circular room was as filled with trinkets, ornaments and gadgets as ever. The portraits were uncharacteristically quiet, some pointing at us. Some looked approving, others looked scandalised.

My interest was aroused.

Dumbledore was lounging in his throne like armchair behind his magnificent mahogany desk. In front of the desk were a semicircle of chairs occupied by two Hufflepuffs and three Ravenclaws. We claimed the remaining seats. We all faced Dumbledore expectantly.

"What I am about to tell you is of upmost importance. I will require you to sign a form of secrecy before I can inform you further." Dumbledore began, summoning a roll of parchment. We all hesitantly signed.

"Thank you. I have chosen you as you are now considered adults in the Wizarding World. You are achieving the top marks in your year and many of you wish to become Aurors. I take it that you all want to make a difference."

We nodded. Alice's expression was one of determination.

"As you all know by now, our world is in great danger. Lord Voldemort is behind all of this. I have founded a top secret organisation whose aims are to conquer Voldemort and restore peace to Wizarding Britain. I am giving you the opportunity tonight to join this order once you have graduated from Hogwarts."

This is where some expressions betrayed emotions. Peter, the Hufflepuffs and a Ravenclaw looked terrified. Emmeline and a Ravenclaw seemed indifferent. The rest of us were composed and giving the Professor our undivided attention. This was serious.

"Professor, what is it called?" James asked curiously.

"Hold on Mr Potter, I'm not finished yet. You see, to accept this proposition will place both you and your families in grave danger, regardless of your blood status." His gaze fell on James and Sirius. "You do not have to answer me tonight and if you should choose to refuse that is perfectly fine but you will find yourselves incapable of speaking about this incident. Does anyone wish to leave?"

A Hufflepuff and a Ravenclaw both left their seats. Peter looked as though he would have liked to join them but he gritted his teeth and remained seated.

"It is called the Order of the Phoenix. We currently have about thirty members. Each person has a role to play whether it be spying, battling or defending. Each person is considered reliable by myself and is a very competent witch or wizard."

"I believe that each of you have the heart, soul and potential to become Order members. The most important thing that I request of the members is loyalty. Loyalty is key to win this war. Each of you before me have demonstrated throughout your school career admirable qualities and I hope you will seriously consider joining. Any questions?"

Predictably, Lily's hand shot into the air. Dumbledore smiled.

"When can we join?" Determination burned in her eyes. All heads turned to her in amazement.

"If you are absolutely certain about your decision then you may join straight away but you will not be an active member until you have graduated." Dumbledore said, looking Lily directly in the eyes. "Does anyone else want to join straight away?"

I stood up. Beside me, James, Sirius, Remus, Alice, Marlene, Emmeline, the Hufflepuff and a Ravenclaw mimicked my movements. Peter too eventually clambered to his feet but the final Ravenclaw remained seated, staring at his feet.

"Excellent. Mr Ivan if I could ask you to leave please?" Dumbledore asked politely. The Ravenclaw left the room.

"Sir, who's in the Order?" I asked.

"Myself, Professor McGonagall, Alastor Moody of the Auror Department, you may know Arthur and Molly Weasley, Gideon and Fabian Prewett, Frank Longbottom-"

"Frank?" Alice asked sharply.

"Yes Miss Summers and I ask that you do not berate him for keeping it a secret, after you have already promised to do the same."

Alice blushed and dropped her gaze.

"And here is the form, please sign your names".

The parchment was old and wrinkled. Each time a name was added, it burned gold. Fawkes the Phoenix watched with interest.

"Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix".


	9. Of NEWT's, Screams and Rings

_Please Review!_

* * *

Unfortunately, seeing as we were still students, Dumbledore wouldn't allow us go to the Order meetings. It was frustrating but as Lily said, we didn't have long to wait.

Indeed we didn't. The N.E.W.T's popped up so suddenly that we quite literally didn't know what had hit us. The exams were tricky, no matter how hard you studied for them. You know you're in trouble when Charms expert Lily exits her Charms practical in tears. I didn't find Charms too hard itself, except for two of the smaller questions which I simply couldn't remember the answers to.

Herbology went well enough. I definitely passed it, but I couldn't guess what my result was. I mixed up a fanged geranium with a biting buttercup but that's only small and shouldn't affect my mark too badly, I hoped.

Potions was horrific. I definitely aced the written seeing as I studied the arse out of our textbook. I could pretty much recite any paragraph requested. The practical on the other hand… well I always knew that I wasn't naturally gifted at brewing. I could only hope that Lily's tips could scrape me an Auror worthy grade. Or even a pass.

Thankfully Care of Magical Creatures followed that. I always loved that subject. The prospect of the practical being handling sometimes dangerous live animals grabbed my interest. For N.E.W.T's, among other things, we were expected to be able to recognise an Erumpet and describe how to avoid being blown up by its deadly horn! Sirius often compared Peter's flatulence to an erumpent horn which always produced a round of laughter.

Defence Against the Dark Arts was after that. Thankfully, it was the polar opposite of Potions. My wandless abilities gave me an invaluable advantage in the practical and for some reason, the theory always just made sense. I came out of the exam beaming from ear to ear, feeling confident for the first time that I had gotten an Outstanding.

The final exam was Transfiguration. The theory paper was challenging. Transfiguration was considered by many to be the most dangerous and complicated branch of magic. As an animagus, I was inclined to agree. ` Unfortunately, when studying advanced transfiguration it was vital to learn the theory before attempting the practical or else the consequences were diabolical. I understood the theory but for the exam it was a matter of learning off the essays to score points. The practical went smoothly, I easily changed my appearance as the examiner requested. Finishing off by vanishing and conjuring some objects and animals, I was reasonably happy with my work. James and Sirius, Transfiguration superstars came out of the exam singing and skipping about, arms linked like a pair of school girls.

After Transfiguration, we descended the stairs into the entrance hall with the intentions of relaxing under the beech tree by the black lake, and enjoying one of our final evenings in Hogwarts. It was scary how quickly the year had gone past. So much had changed since September. Remus and I were together, Lily and James were an item and Sirius and Marlene too were dating. James had calmed down slightly and taken on the responsibilities of Head Boy. We were all asked to join the elite Order of the Phoenix and we all accepted.

What terrified me was what was next. The future of every person was uncertain. We mightn't even make it to our eighteenth seeing as our positions in the Order would make us prime Death Eater targets.

I was abruptly shaken out of my thoughts by a piercing shriek. Within seconds our previously relaxed, care-free demeanours were gone. Each of us had a wand in hand and were poised like a cat about to pounce on a mouse.

A crying Alice Summers came jogging around the corner, hand in hand with none other than her boyfriend Frank Longbottom. Tears were rolling down her face. My stomach was in my mouth. What had happened? Who was dead now. I opened my mouth to voice my fears but my mouth was dry and no sound came out. Luckily Remus took charge.

"Frank, Alice, are you okay? What happened? Who's dead? Is it someone we know?" He spoke quickly and calmly and to anyone who didn't know him they might think that he was unaffected by the possibility of casualties. But I knew by the tightness of his grasp on my waist that he was barely holding himself together.

Much to everyone's surprise, Frank's face broke into a grin and Alice threw back her head and laughed loudly. We stared at the couple who were now in hysterics. Frank pounded the wall with a fist, tears of mirth trickling from his blue eyes. Alice was on the ground. Incapable of speech, she waved her hand in the direction of Lily and I. I frowned but Lily gave out a shriek and dived on top of Alice.

"CONGRATULATIONS!" She exclaimed. "When? Where? How?"

Comprehension dawned on me and when I glanced at Alice, a huge golden diamond band circled her ring finger. I too shrieked and joined the tangle of arms and legs on the floor, hugging Alice tightly.

"Well done mate", James said, giving Frank one of those one-armed manly hugs.

"Congratulations", Remus grinned, he too embracing Frank.

"Yeah, congratulations", Peter echoed.

"Are you crazy, mate? You're giving up our bachelor days in favour of being tied down? I think I see grey hairs!" Sirius exclaimed in horror, making a grand gesture out of rifling through Franks dark locks in search of non-existent greys.

We all shook our heads and exclaimed exasperated looks that clearly said, 'oh Sirius'.

Alice enthusiastically launched into a detailed description of the proposal.

"I was just out of my practical and Frank was there. He had gotten permission to take me to Hogsmeade and proposed outside Honeydukes. I was looking in the shop window and when I turned around he was down on one knee." She babbled, her eyes shining with happiness. "Amy, Lily, will you be my bridesmaids? You are like sisters to me. I'm getting married!"

I smiled at the hopelessly in love girl, genuinely thrilled for them. They made a perfect couple. It was, however, a reminder that we were the adults.

But as long as we're together, we can take on the real world.


	10. Of Friends, Speeches and Trophies

_**Please review! ** There might be a slight delay for the next update but it won't be more than six days._

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Several days passed. With the N.E.W.T's completed, attention turned to graduation. It suddenly dawned on us that we were about to leave Hogwarts, a place that we called home for the past seven years of our lives.

So much had happened to each of us within the stone walls of the castle. All of those years ago, when we were young and not so innocent, among other friendships, the Marauders were founded.

We studied and learned valuable lessons. These lessons weren't just related to subjects like Charms or Herbology, we learned important life lessons too. We learned morals and chose our side in a raging war. For my friends and I, we made the decision to stand up for the innocents whilst darker minded individuals such as Snape chose to do the opposite.

Many of us also found love. I can't imagine my life without Remus and I know that Alice and Frank and Lily and James feel just the same. I also truly believe that Sirius is head over heels for Marlene. And Peter found love in all things stuffed with fat and calories so long as it tasted good.

Most of all, I found an extremely dysfunctional, weird but truly loyal family that would stick together no matter what.

The last days passed remarkably quickly and we found ourselves with our trunks packed for the final time, staring around the room that had been our home. It seemed strangely empty without Alice's posters of Quidditch stars, Marlene's clothes not strewn in every place imaginable, Emmeline's books not stacked in wobbling piles that almost reached the ceiling. It lacked the personal feel that we had managed to give it.

It was a sad moment when we descended that staircase for the final time and I wasn't the only one blinking back tears.

The boys too were solemn and serious when we met them in the common room. There wasn't any joking or chatting as we entered the Great Hall, each of us were lost in our thoughts. I gripped on to Remus' hand as though it were a lifeline and he didn't complain, extracting just as much comfort from the contact as I was.

When we reached the Great Hall, we each claimed a seat in one of the rows facing the podium where Dumbledore stood tall, his silvery robes billowing slightly even though there wasn't a breeze. His blue eyes surveyed us from behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Welcome", he spoke and at once all noise ceased. Everyone, whether Hufflepuff or Slytherin gave there undivided attention to the master of magic that was the Headmaster. "Today marks the end of your seven year legacy within the magical walls of this building. Each of you has overcome obstacles. You each have put failures behind you and the enjoyed your successes. You have done yourselves proud."

"Now however, it is time for the real world where there are no second chances. Mistakes cannot be erased and may scar you forever. Successes are few and far in between. Each of you has a vital decision to make, many of you have already made it. For we are in the midst of a horrific war that is dividing our country. I pray that each of you chooses light over dark."

On that ominous note, Dumbledore vacated the podium to make way for Lily and James, the head boy and girl. Wearing identical robes, and hands joined they were an image of unity. They even cleared their throats at the same time. Lily smiled in embarrassment at the wolf-whistles whereas James made a show of putting an arm over her shoulders.

"Well, we did it!" James began, his hazel eyes twinkling with mischief. "I'm not lying when I say that I'm surprised that I made it to this day. I was positive that Sirius and I would be expelled in sixth year after that incident-"

"Yes James, we all remember that thank-you", Lily cut off, preventing Professor McGonagall from having a heart attack. Many people laughed at the memory. "What James here is trying to say is 'well done'. I know that the past few years have been tough as will the next few. Many of you have been directly affected."

"But you didn't let it stop you", James took over, "and thanks to that, many of you are stronger people today than they were before entering Hogwarts. Do your best in life. Make your mark, don't be a follower. Be yourself."

The hall burst into raucous applause. Sirius stood on his chair and cheered. Then the chair broke, and he collapsed in a heap on the ground. Everyone knocked a laugh out of that and Sirius, ever the show man, took a bow.

A respectful silence descended upon the students when both Dumbledore and McGonagall took to the stage.

"And now the moment that you have all been waiting for, the awards", Professor McGonagall announced, smiling a rare smile at the clapping that followed that. "There is an award for a male and female student in each subject. Please come to the stage to collect your trophy if your name is called."

"In charms, the winners of the Wingardium Leviosa award are", Dumbledore called, "Remus Lupin and Lily Evans".

A red faced werewolf and a beaming red-head collected two bronze trophies in the shape of a feather.

"The winners of the Animagus trophy in Transfiguration are James Potter and Amy Griffon", Professor McGonagall announced. The smiling Deputy Headmistress handed us each a gold medal. When in my hand, it blossomed into a wolf. James' turned into a stag. "Yes, that would be your animagus form", McGonagall quickly informed us. I exchanged an amused look with James. If only she knew!

Remus and Alice won the Herbology award, a bronze trophy in the shape of a Mandrake.

Sirius and I collected a silver shield for Defence Against the Dark Arts.

Remus and a Ravenclaw took the Arithmancy prize. I won the Care for Magical Creatures with a Hufflepuff, it was shaped like a unicorn horn.

Emmeline won both History of Magic and Ancient Runes.

The most awkward moment was when Lily and Snape won the Potions. She quickly received her silver, cauldron shaped prize and practically raced back to her seat beside James who wrapped an arm around her protectively. Snape's empty black eyes gave away nothing as he silently slithered back to his seat.

But even Snape couldn't ruin our good moods. We enjoyed our final meal in the Great Hall and cheered along as Gryffindor were awarded both the Quidditch and House Cup. At least we left on a high but no one was laughing as we boarded the Hogwarts Express for the last time.

My eyes watered as I cast my final gaze as a student over the legendary castle.

We were finished at Hogwarts.

It was time to enter the real world.

Time to make our mark.

Time to fight.


	11. Of Hangovers, Dresses and Dances

_Yay! Early update! I love this chapter and I hope that you all do too. Please review, I'd love to beat the reviews on my other stories!_

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June had been a frantic rush of preparations. When I had accepted the position of bridesmaid I had been clueless as to how much work it entailed. Thankfully, Lily and I work great together. I would have been in serious trouble if I had been by myself. The two best men, twins Gideon and Fabian Prewett were liked by all for their happy-go-lucky nature and great sense of humours but were not renowned for being workers.

Every little detail had to be planned, from the venue down to whether to have flowers or hearts on the invitations.

Alice, Lily, Marlene, Emmeline and I were spending the night in Longbottom Manor under the watchful eye of Mrs. Augusta Longbottom, Frank's widowed mother. When I first met her, I smiled kindly at the small, fragile looking elderly lady, until she opened her mouth.

Augusta Longbottom is a force to be reckoned with. An ex-Auror, she tolerated no nonsense and liked to give orders. At the start, I was slightly in awe of the formidable woman, but now I grumble along with Lily when she complains about her. Augusta Longbottom liked to give out orders, but the problem lied in that she was used to having them followed, immediately. After several hours, I felt like a house elf.

The wedding reception was to be held in the manor the next day, which was the primary reason why it was the girls staying in the manor and not the boys. Augusta firmly insisted that the boys would wreck the carefully decorated rooms after several drinks. I privately thought that they would destroy the place before alcohol. Augusta also took the opportunity to get to know her soon to be daughter-in-law.

"Now Alice, Frank told me that you're a pureblood. Summers, isn't it?" Augusta said, her sharp blue eyes trained on Alice's round face. Alice squirmed under the stare and shifted uncomfortably in the armchair that looked as though it belonged in a museum. It probably did. The Longbottoms were one of the oldest pureblood families.

"That's right Mrs. Longbottom, although I daresay that our history doesn't date back as far as the Longbottoms", Alice answered truthfully. However, the insensitive question had fuelled my temper and I barely managed to keep my voice level.

"Why do you ask Mrs. Longbottom, surely you aren't of the belief that purebloods are supreme".

Augusta Longbottom surveyed me for several long moments. I thought that I had gone too far when she _laughed_.

"You're a fiery young lion cub, in fact you remind me of myself when I was your age. No Miss Griffon, it's just that Alice and Frank both being purebloods means that their children will be pureblooded giving them a sort of protection in these troubled times."

Alice choked on her elf wine.

"I mean no disrespect of course Miss Evans, I hear that you are a very competent witch."

And with that, my respect for Augusta Longbottom rose considerably.

The next day was chaotic to say the least. We received a patronus the next morning. When I saw the wolf enter the room, my heart froze. All sorts of horrific scenarios entered my mind.

"Amy, we have a problem, it's nothing serious, I promise, but could you apparate with some hangover potions. I don't want to leave them by themselves, Merlin knows what they'd do." Remus' panicked voice said. I sighed with relief and then bristled with anger as my bridesmaid instincts kicked in. How could they get drunk the night before the wedding?

I apparated over, but nothing could have prepared me for the scene of devastation before us. Anyone would have thought that there had been a death eater attack.

The boys had been staying in Sirius' house, he inherited it off his Uncle Alphard in our sixth year. Augusta's brother Algie had been hired as 'groomsitter' for the night but by the looks of things he had failed miserably.

There was a smell of smoke in the air, at some point they had tried to cook but when I entered the kitchen, the cooker was an unrecognisable lump of melted metal and a gloopy, unrecognisable mess which presumably used to be food.

The floor was littered by empty beer cans and items of clothes. In the midst of the war zone lay the groom, the groomsitter, the two best men, Peter and the two who corrupted the group-Padfoot and Prongs. All were sprawled on the floor and reaking of booze.

"Remus, what the hell is written on Frank's face?" I enquired weakly, not entirely sure whether I wanted to know the answer or not. "Oh Merlin, it's on the others too!"

Written on Frank's, Fabian's and Gideon's faces was 'Honorary Marauder' in what looked like permanent marker. On the snoring Algie's face was 'Grumpy Farty Filch'.

"UP!" I screeched. They didn't budge.

"I tried that", Remus said, kissing my cheek, "It didn't work. They're intoxicated."

"What the hell happened last night?" I demanded sharply. Remus fidgeted with his collar.

"Em, Sirius and James got fed up of Algie and spiked his drink. After that you really don't want to know. Em, do you have the Hangover Cure?"

I internally debated whether or not they deserved it but then I imagined Augusta Longbottom's face if they turned up at the wedding still half-drunk. Needless to say, I quickly handed it over.

Luckily, there were no more disasters that day. The weather was perfect, the sky was blue, the sun shining and just the hint of a breeze.

The ceremony was quaint; it took place in a church in Godric's Hollow. The church was laden with flowers but hay fever was not the cause of the tears in the eyes of the family and friends when Alice walked down the aisle.

Wearing a pure white dress, Alice had gone for a plain yet sophisticated look. The beaded strapless bodice clung to her upper curves and flowed out under her ribs. Her face positively glowed with happiness as she took Frank's arm at the altar.

By the end of the brief ceremony, there wasn't a dry eye in the building. Even Augusta was seen dabbing at her face with a silk handkerchief.

The reception was held back at Longbottom Manor. Fifty house elves waited on the guests and no one went without a drink in their hand. The band began playing at nine o'clock sending everyone to the dance floor. As bridesmaids, Lily and I began dancing with Gideon and Fabian. The usually scruffy red heads had scrubbed up well for the occasion and looked handsome in their suits. They introduced us to their older sister Molly and her husband Arthur.

Molly too, had auburn hair. She was short and incredibly round due to the fact that she was seven months pregnant, with twins! Her other three boys had been at the church earlier, but went home to Molly's aunt Muriel's afterwards.

Arthur was a charismatic man with a keen interest in all things muggle. I introduced him to Lily and struggled to hide my smile at the way his face lit up at the mention of rubber ducks and airplanes. If only everyone was so easy to keep happy.

It was well past midnight before I got to dance with Remus. I bumped into him on the way back from the bathroom.

"There you are", he smiled, wrapping his arms around my waist, "It feels like I haven't seen you all evening".

"That's because you haven't", I pointed out.

"You look stunning", he complimented. I twirled around in my knee length rose coloured gown.

"Remus, are you drunk?" I teased.

"No, not yet anyway. It's just that tonight, it hit me. Frank and Alice got _married_. They're our age and they're settling down. They've committed to each other for life and, well, it got me thinking." He said earnestly. I kissed him sweetly.

"Think tomorrow Remus, dance tonight. Merlin knows, we won't have much of a chance to have fun again", I said truthfully, leading him out to the dance floor.

And fun we had.

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**Please Review!**


	12. Of Owls, Letters and Forms

_Hi readers, the characters are growing up so fast now that it makes me sad. Please review!_

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The elation of the wedding wore off several days later with the news of several death eater attacks. In three weeks, eighty innocent muggles were murdered in Europe along with five witches and wizards. The situation was worsening with every passing week.

I felt so helpless at home with my mother. I passed the days helping her with house work seeing as she objected to the enslavement of elves. But it didn't keep me occupied and the only thing that allowed me to keep my temper in check was the promise of the Order and Auror training. If I qualified for it.

I was terrified in case one of my friends' homes would be attacked. We all met up several times and exchanged bizarre safety questions such as 'favourite socks' or in Peter's case, 'favourite pie'.

Lily had moved into Potter Manor for safety. It was heavily warded and unlikely to be attacked compared to her vulnerable home in the muggle world. At the Potters' urging, Mr and Mrs Evans also moved home and now resided in Little Whinging, near to the newly wed Vernon and Petunia.

These changes just made the war so much more real. More personal. Closer.

I wanted to make a difference but I had to wait for a bloody owl to come before I could do it. Luckily, I didn't have long to wait.

In mid-July two magnificent owls deposited letters to me. My mother put down the tea pot and stood behind me as I opened the first letter with trembling fingers. For the first time the possibility of failure struck me. What the hell would I do if I couldn't be trained to fight just because of some marks in a test?

The N.E.W.T's seemed so insignificant compared to the real world. What had been important to me in Hogwarts was now a distant memory and I had the future to worry about. It all depended on these two letters.

"Open it sweetheart", my mum urged, placing her hand on my shoulder for support. I looked up into her sky blue eyes and found comfort. Holding my breath, I ripped open the envelope.

NASTILY EXHAUSTING WIZARDING TEST RESULTS

AMY SOPHIA GRIFFON HAS RECEIVED:

Transfiguration: O

Defence Against the Dark Arts: O

Charms: O

Potions: E

Care of Magical Creatures: O

Herbology: O

Discarding the letter in favour of my mother's arms, I let out a whoop of joy. Beaming, I swiftly read the other letter.

_ Dear Miss Griffon,_

_ On receiving your N.E.W.T results you have been accepted for Auror Training in the Ministry of Magic where you shall be tested further. _

_ Please arrive at the Ministry on 1__st__ September at 09:00. Report to Alastor Moody's office. Do not be late. Dress in clothing that does not hinder movement._

_ Yours Sincerely, _

_**Alastor Moody**_

Head of Auror's Office

This time I almost deafened my mother with my shrieking.

"You did it sweetheart!" She exclaimed, tears of pride streaming down her lined face, "Oh your father would be so proud of you." I returned her smile and automatically looked at the framed photograph of my father on the wall. He smiled at me as always. I wiped away tears of my own.

"I have to go and tell Remus", I said, "I just hope that he got in too."

"Be careful sweetheart and send a patronus if you won't be back before lunch", Mum replied, giving me one last hug.

"I will, see you later." With that, I twirled on the spot and felt the pull of apparition.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself in a modest yet neat garden that framed a small two bedroom cottage. I strolled up the gravel path and knocked on the wooden door. Mrs Lupin came into view behind the glass panel, her wand in her hand. She did not open the door.

"What is Amy Griffon's nickname and what does it mean?" She asked sharply, her usually friendly brown eyes that were identical to her son's were filled with anxiety.

"Faolan and it means 'Little Wolf' in Irish which is what my father Andrew called me before he passed away during my second year at Hogwarts", I calmly answered. Mrs Lupin quickly unlatched the door and gave me an apologetic hug.

"I'm sorry dear, I had to check. Did you get your results?" She apologised, leading me into the cosy country kitchen.

"Not at all Mrs Lupin, that's what the questions are for. Incidentally, what wood was your first wand made of?" I said, my eyes narrowed slightly.

"Apple."

"Just checking", I smiled, "Yes, I got Outstandings in everything but Potions. I got into the Aurors. What about Remus? Did he hear from the others?"

"Well done Amy, we knew that you could do it. Remus got all Outstandings but he didn't get accepted into the Aurors because he's a-"

"-werewolf", I finished angrily, pacing the length of the room several times. "It's so unfair!" I almost yelled, wanting to scream with frustration. "Where is he anyway?"

"Over at the Potter's and Sirius' to see how they did. He said he'd only be a few minutes so he'll be back soon. Would you like a cup of tea or coffee whilst you are waiting?" She explained, indicating for me to take a seat at the round table.

"Tea please, Mrs Lupin".

Remus arrived home before the kettle had even boiled. We hurled security identification questions at him which he passed and gratefully sank into the chair beside me. He kissed me fully on the lips when he heard my results, causing me to blush when Mrs Lupin commented 'young love'.

"James, Sirius and Alice got into the Aurors. Marlene and Lily qualified for healing. Emmeline's working for Gringott's and Peter's going for an interview at the Daily Prophet tomorrow. He didn't get the results to be an Auror." Remus filled me in.

"Poor Pete", I sighed. "But Remus, what are you going to do? The injustice of it just made me so angry. You'd be among their best Aurors!"

His face saddened.

"It's all right Amy, there's nothing that we can do about it." He lowered his voice, "I'll apply for several interviews and offer my full time services to the Order so I won't be completely useless."

I took is hands in mine and looked him in the eye.

"You, Remus Lupin are not useless and never will be so never say that again. You are smart, funny, loyal, one hell of a friend, the best boyfriend in the world and I love you so much." I said earnestly.

"I love you too Amy."


	13. Of Libraries, Mad-Eye and Tyrell

_This is one of my favourite chapters! Please review!_

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But the world was cruel and relentless. Remus was unable to find a job in the Wizarding World. Every interview went well in the beginning, with most employers thinking 'why the hell does this bright young lad not have a better job?' until the end when they got to the werewolf bit and sent him packing.

Remus was quite depressed.

I half-heartedly suggested that he look into the muggle world to see if he could get a job there. I hadn't expected him to take me seriously but he got a job working in a library. To anyone else, that may seem boring,but to Remus, it was a pleasant job as he was surrounded by books. The pay wasn't great but the hours weren't long, the work was easy and there were no prejudices seeing as they didn't know about werewolves.

However, when I met with James, Sirius and Alice outside the Ministry, Remus' absence left a gaping hole visible to all of us. He deserved to be there with us. He belonged there, not stuck in a library.

Each of us were dressed entirely in black. We could pass for criminals in a muggle movie. James' and Sirius' trademark grins were replaced by a mask of uncertainty. We were all a bundle of nerves. After all, we were stepping into unknown territory.

Entering the Ministry, we took a lift to level two. We followed the signs to Moody's office which took us through numerous corridors and many large rooms that were divided into personal office spaces. Each cubicle had a desk, a chair and was covered with photographs and newspaper cuttings. Each person looked up when they heard us and their suspicious gazes burned into our backs.

In the ministry, no one knew who to trust. There were spies everywhere.

Thankfully we made it to Moody's office without being hexed. The moment that we reached the solid walnut door, the true nerves kicked in. Alastor Moody was rumoured to be a tough, rough and burly guy with no sense of humour. Sure he had filled half of Azkaban's cells but surely there were severe consequences to the horrors he must have witnessed in doing so. Both mental and physical.

James' hand shook as he rapped on the door. Several long moments passed before it slowly opened. We tentatively stepped inside but before we could inspect our surroundings, the lights went out and the door slammed shut leaving us in total darkness.

Ignoring the butterflies (which had turned into hippogriffs) that were in my stomach, I took several deep breaths and began thinking rationally. Death Eaters couldn't possibly break into the Auror Department, could they?

"The door's locked and 'Alohomora' won't work", Sirius informed us. My heart began to pound at an abnormal rate.

"Lumos", I whispered but the beam of light that I had expected failed to appear. My palms were slick with sweat and I almost dropped my wand.

"Why didn't that work?" James asked hysterically.

"Shut up and let me think!" Alice snapped, the pressure getting to her. Using non-verbal magic I scanned the room for other people.

"There's someone in here with us", I said as calmly as I could before an idea struck me. "Expecto Patronum", I chanted. My silvery wolf illuminated the room revealing a figure in the corner.

"Stupefy!" James shouted, always the Gryffindor who had to be the one to strike first.

"Stop!" I yelled, "It's not a Death Eater! It's-"

"Alastor Moody, Head of the Auror Department", the figure said in a gruff voice, swatting away the stunner as though it were a fly. The lights flickered back on and Alastor Moody was revealed. The man was of average height and average build but it was clear that he was no average man. His greying brown hair was tangled and every inch of his face was marked by scars. Most startling were his wooden leg and glass eye, which spun around in all directions independent of its narrowed blue counterpart.

Even James and Sirius were stunned speechless.

"Well, yeh're not the worst I've had to deal with. There's some hope for you if you don't get killed before your twentieth birthday which I can't guarantee." He growled, "You girl, what's your name?" His glass eye spun around to focus on me. I felt oddly as though I were being x-rayed except that it wasn't a limb being scanned, it was my soul. I gulped before answering.

"Amy. Amy Griffon."

"Griffon", he sniffed, "A pureblood then. Well, the patronus was clever. Haven't seen it in many a year. You might prove useful."

I swallowed heavily, ignorant to the fact that I had been dealt what was Moody's twisted idea of a compliment.

"Now, follow me and we'll get you set up for training."

We were led through several more corridors. I tried to keep track of them but gave up after the fifth turn left. It was like a maze. We finally entered a large hall where about ten other future Aurors were waiting.

"Right, this is the last chance to back out before you either retire or die. I'm not lying or exaggerating, this is a dangerous job and I don't have time to waste on cowards." Moody warned, surveying us. Nobody left.

"Very well, I'll announce your trainers. You'll be in groups of four or five. Brown, Tatum, Walsh, Grady and Davis follow Auror Shacklebolt. O'Connor, Harte, Berry, Barry and Kenny follow Auror Scrimgeour. Potter, Griffon, Black and Summers you're with Auror Tyrell."

Unable to disguise my delight, my beaming face whipped around to face our tutor who smiled back. Avaline Tyrell had been our Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in our fifth year when she had been recovering from an injury. With her help, I had discovered my wandless and non-verbal abilities and under her guidance I had expanded my duelling experience.

The battle hardy Auror hadn't changed much. Her tanned, muscular structure stood at over six feet tall. Her brown eyes were as piercing as ever and her dark hair was scraped back from her face in a ponytail.

"Well well well, Amy Griffon I had been hoping that I'd get you", she smiled.

"You've met?" Moody remarked, his normal eye narrowed in suspicion. Tyrell rolled her eyes.

"Yes, I taught her when I was at Hogwarts. I've taught all of them actually and I can tell you that I have a bright bunch here."

"We'll see just how bright they are when they're illuminated by an Avada Kedavra on a raid", Moody commented drily before dismissing us with a wave.

"Ignore him, he's got a weird sense of humour. Let's get training!" Tyrell said, looking excited at the prospect of sharing her knowledge-a trait which made her an excellent teacher.

As it was only the first day, Tyrell didn't exert us too much. She merely tested us on the basics such as stunning, making sure that we could fly reasonably well on a broomstick (James almost had a cardiac arrest when he spotted the room full of top of the range brooms), aim and basic disillusionment charms for camouflage. We passed these with flying colours and it was a smiling trainer that promised us a more challenging day tomorrow.

Then the door flung open and Moody entered.

"Tyrell, these kids are in the Order. Dumbledore said there's a meeting tomorrow at six in his office at Hogwarts and he wants them to go. Password's Bertie Bott's."

Then he slammed the door behind him without another word.


	14. Of Scots, Speeches and Lions

_Hi Readers, I decided to update quickly because I love this chapter. Apologies for the cliffhanger. Please review!_

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The legendary mass of ancient towers and turrets that was Hogwarts was as welcoming as ever. We all flooed into Professor McGonagall's office, a place that we had been trying (and failing) to avoid since our first year.

"It's good to see that you're all well", our old Professor said earnestly in her Scottish accent. "Go on ahead to Dumbledore's office, I'm still waiting on a few more people."

"Thanks Professor", Remus said.

"It's Minerva now, as I am no longer your Professor. I think that each of you have earned the right to call me that." She replied with a quick smile before ushering us out of the crowded room.

When we entered Dumbledore's office, I was surprised by how many people I knew that were in the Order. There were the people in my year, Hagrid the half-giant who as always took up half of the room, Aberforth Dumbledore, owner of the Hog's Head, Minerva McGonagall the Scottish Transfiguration Master, Alastor Moody, his glass eye surveying all of us with mistrust, the twins Gideon and Fabian, Frank Longbottom, Professor Tyrell, Arthur and Molly Weasley who were the red haired couple from the wedding and Dorcas Meadows, a Hufflepuff who graduated two years ago.

We were also introduced to other people. Benjy Fenwick and Caradoc Dearborn were a pair of Ravenclaws who became well-respected Aurors. Dedalus Diggle worked in the Portkey Office. Edgar Bones was next in line to be head of Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Elphias Doge was a curse-breaker at Gringott's. Sturgis Podmore was an Unspeakable working in the Department of Mysteries and Mundungus Fletcher was an expert in dark or illegal items ranging from potions ingredients to cursed watches.

Dumbledore had gathered a wide range of people who were each experts in different fields. Each person there was trusted. Each person there was capable of surviving in battle. Each person was prepared to lay down their life to restore peace. There was a heavy atmosphere. The Order were a family in a weird way. It was one of the few places where you knew you could trust everyone in the room but you also knew that they might not make it to the next meeting.

"I'll never understand why you young ones want to join", Moody, ever the encouraging one, said gruffly. "To join is to die. You're foolish, the whole lot of you. Arrogant, over confident toe rags who think that they'll be heroes who'll kill Voldemort. You think that the situation is bad at the moment? It hasn't even started yet and I doubt that you'll live to tell the tale. So tell me, why the hell are you here, risking your necks when you could be safely tucked away at home?"

James stepped forward, meeting Moody's harsh gaze. "I'm not about to sit in the side lines whilst innocents are being killed."

"What if you being in the Order puts your family at risk? Want to go home to find the Dark Mark and everyone you love a cold corpse?" Moody growled, painting an unnecessarily vivid picture.

"My family are already dead. All who are left are here in this room", Alice responded coldly, her cool blue gaze harsh and unforgiving.

"Arrogance gets you killed", Moody warned. "As does talking back when you should just shut up."

"Yes Moody, these children are naïve. They believe in rules. They think that just because they're on the right side, the good side, means that they'll win. And they're not the only ones who believe that. They'll soon witness the horrors. They'll soon lose their innocence but each of these young adults has earned the right to be here today", Dumbledore said calmly, flashing Minerva a glance. The witch nodded.

"James Potter", She began, "Top of the class and definitely arrogant but you would be unable to find a better leader. He knew from the moment that he saw the heir to the Dark Black family and a girl who hated him that he would love them unconditionally. How he knew, no one knows, not even him. James Potter is as persistent as they come and will fight for his morals or die trying."

"Peter Pettigrew", She announced, "A boy who follows orders. He will try hard for the order and will do his very best. He may be quiet, you may not notice him but in the middle of a battle he's the boy who defends your back."

"Sirius Black", Minerva continued, ignoring the many gasps as the Order learned that it had a Black in its midst. "Many of you will distrust him for his name alone. Sure he too is arrogant, but he was raised to be. Yet he rebelled against one of the strongest families in our world and won, something which not many can do. He has in his own right, already fought a war. He is naturally talented and Sirius Black will be first in line to fight the Death Eaters. For him, it's personal."

"Alice Longbottom", Minerva said, "A kinder hearted girl you will not find. Nothing will change her sense of good and wrong because they are imbedded so deeply in her. She's talented and will not fall at the first hurdle."

"Lily Evans", Minerva called, sounding as though her speech was written down in front of her. "She was faced with prejudices from the moment she set foot in our world. Branded unworthy of her magic, she rose to the challenge magnificently and excelled in everything she did in Hogwarts. If you need a friend, call on Lily Evans."

"Remus Lupin", She said, meeting Remus' surprised eyes, "A werewolf. Submitted to some of the worst prejudices in the wizarding world. Branded a dark creature but has not given in to the easier option and chose to fight the Death Eaters even though the people he is fighting for hate him. A hard worker, loyal, smart and definitely not innocent to the horrors in our world."

"Amy Griffon", She announced loudly. I felt myself blush as every head turned to face me. "What doesn't kill her makes her stronger. Amy Griffon never let the death of her father define her. She rose above it. She has been blessed with talents that the Dark Lord himself does not possess and I have never seen a better duellist for her age. You will not find a more stubborn or determined person and mark my words, she won't give up until Voldemort is dead."

"Thank you Professor", Dumbledore said softly. "I agree with every word Minerva has said and Moody, do not doubt the young for they will be the wise one day."

"If they survive", Moody added darkly, always happy to point out the probability of our untimely deaths. We wisely chose to ignore him.

"As everyone is present, we shall commence with the meeting", Dumbledore decided, and everyone turned to give him their attention. "A spy has revealed that Rosier and Avery have accepted the Dark Mark. They are not to be underestimated in battle, and of course, as Death Eaters, Aurors are permitted to use Unforgivables on them."

This announcement caused the crowd to burst into angry muttering. Another two bastards to add to the list…great.

Before Dumbledore could utter another word, the mutterings changed from furious to shocked and apprehensive as a bright patronus entered the room. It was a lion.

"James!"It cried in the tones of Charlus Potter, "Death Eater attack at Potter Manor. Twenty of them. We're alive at the moment. We love you."


	15. Of Losses, Victory & First Encounters

_Hi Readers! An extra long chapter so please review!_

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The world slowed down with every syllable.

"Death Eater Attack…Twenty…Alive…We love you."

My heart actually stopped. Beads of sweat dotted my forehead. I felt suffocated. I could barely breathe.

And then everything sped up again. Everything happened at once.

I saw James fall out of his seat and leap to his feet, his pained expression heart breaking to look at.

"I'm going!" He shouted at no one in particular. Lily grabbed his arm. Her emerald eyes were wide with alarm and flashed like a terrified horse caught in a thunderstorm.

"_We're_ going", she corrected. A look of grim understanding passed between them. They dived to the fireplace.

Sirius was horrified at the thought of losing the couple who were better parents than Orion and Walburga Black ever were or ever could have been. Without saying a word, he sprinted towards the fireplace to floo in to the Potter's.

Peter was frozen. His mouth opened and closed several times but no words came out. He looked lost.

Remus stirred into action and took charge of those who immediately offered to help. He gave orders clearly and calmly to Frank, Alice, Marlene, Gideon and Fabian.

But for all we knew, there wasn't time for orders. Dorea and Charlus could be killed whilst we discussed whether to floo or apparate.

"I'm going", I interrupted, trying to stop my heart from pounding. "Moony, we don't have time. Go. Now. James, Lily and Sirius could be in trouble too."

As much as my boyfriend loved having detailed, structured plans to follow he knew that time was of the essence. Every second mattered in situations involving Death Eaters. After all, it only takes a split second for a stray Avada Kedavra to hit its target.

"Right. Let's go."

We dived into the green flames, out of the Potters' marble fireplace and into hell.

Potter Manor had turned into a war zone. Charlus had underestimated the numbers involved. There were definitely over twenty five death eaters there and our numbers were half that, presuming that Charlus and Dorea were alive.

The ancient building's walls had been blasted to pieces. The ceiling had caved in. The night sky above was illuminated by curses, jinxes and hexes of every colour.

James was fighting back to back with Lily. Sirius and Charlus were in a similar position. Each were outnumbered five to one and were already marked from the battle. They all had tears streaming down their faces.

My stomach was in my mouth. Where was Dorea? I tried to make my way over to the quartet but was intercepted by a wild eyed Dolohov. He instantly shot a curse at me. I dodged the blue light without trouble and shot a stunner back but soon I was surrounded by three more death eaters. My heart instantly sank. As talented a duellist I was, I didn't stand a chance against four death eaters.

But unlike the low life bastards that I was duelling, I had something to fight for. Giving up was simply not an option.

I could literally feel the magic bubbling within me, rising to the challenge. A warmth spread to every cell in my body. It made me feel safe. I turned off my mind and stopped thinking.

Instinct took over.

Curses, jinxes and hexes both offensive and defensive shot out of the end of my wand. I didn't even recognise some of them. I dodged and deflected the retaliation, swiping my wand through the air and knocking one masked foe into a brick wall with a reductor curse. He didn't get up again.

Dolohov roared with fury and sent a bright green Avada Kedavra my way. I leaped out of its fatal path but one of the others used the distraction to hit me with some kind of a cutting curse in the thigh. I yelped out loud in a mixture of shock and pain. Glancing down, I saw a slither of white which I knew was bone. I barely managed to keep the bile down. It _burned._

Unable to avoid the curses like I had been doing, I focused on disabling the Death Eaters as quickly as possible before I suffered another hit. I gave it my best, pushing myself to my limits. But suddenly an ominous blood coloured beam of light struck me on the chest and the world changed.

Pain. White hot pain. Searing agony.

I was vaguely aware of collapsing on the ground. I was being butchered internally and externally and yet there was no blood. Horrible, heart wrenching screams assaulted my ears. I didn't realise that they were coming from me until my vocal chords felt as though they would snap in half. It seemed endless and yet it couldn't have been more than two minutes.

Without warning, it stopped.

I forced my protesting body to sit upright. Remus, my saviour had barrelled into the pair of Death Eaters and had one of them unconscious on the ground. As I was watching, a wave of fresh Order members arrived on the scene. Moody swiftly disabled and paralyzed Dolohov before moving onto a new opponent.

Remus took me in his arms, tears rolling down his face. I geared myself up for the inevitable and swallowed a lump in my throat.

"Who?" My voice was hoarse from screaming.

"Charlus and Dorea", he choked.

"Oh Merlin, no", I yelled, suddenly aware of James' emotional bellowing as he fought. James had been so cruelly orphaned in just one night. Charlus and Dorea, the kindest two people that I had met, who had welcomed us all and adopted Sirius as a second son. They didn't deserve to die. To be killed.

With a roar, I rose shakily to my feet, swaying unsteadily. My anger ignited and I felt a determination to extract revenge on those who had claimed their lives. For the first time, I wanted to kill, not harm.

"Love, what are you doing?" Remus asked me, his concern evident as he steadied me with an arm.

"I'm gonna fight. I'm gonna kill. For Charlus and Dorea Potter." I said solemnly, the effect somewhat ruined by my wild amber eyes, broken voice and the tears streaming down my face.

Remus opened his mouth to protest but my determination had taken over. I made my way to the nearest death eater and used _Sectumsempra_. Numerous gashes opened all over his black cloaked body and he collapsed, yelling in pain and alarm. But I found that I didn't care.

My surprise attack attracted some attention. Three death eaters raced towards me, wands aloft and shooting spells even at the distance. A stinging hex hit me on the ribs and it instantly began to swell. I winced and clutched at it but decided not to let them think that they had the upper hand.

I laughed cruelly and decided to use some imagination. As Voldemort's little servants came closer, I waved my wand at a pile of debris consisting of wood, bricks and plaster.

"Wingardium Leviosa."

The heap rose in the air and I dropped it over the trio of cloaked men, burying them alive. Their shouts were muffled.

And then I saw _him._

_ Voldemort._

There was no mistaking him. He was the sort of figure that turned heads, grabbed attention, inspired fear, commanded respect. The Death Eaters nearest to him collapsed to their knees and bowed. They kissed his billowing black cloak that resembled that of a dementor.

He looked as though he came straight out of a nightmare.

Tall and thin, he had the palest complexion out of anyone I had ever seen, nearing white in colour. His face was oddly distorted, as though some of it had been burned or melted. His nose was almost snake-like, flat with slits for nostrils. He had eyes like black pits, tinged red. His hair was short and jet-black, possibly the only normal thing about his appearance.

Because he was definitely not normal.

Upon his arrival, the atmosphere in the building instantly shifted. Whilst we had been hoping for a victory, a sense of hopelessness swept upon us. He was the Darkest wizard ever. What chance did we have against him?

A grief stricken James broke the silence. Letting out a cry that made him sound insane, he actually charged at Voldemort.

"JAMES!" Lily screamed at him. She was caught between two minds but then she took off after him. Voldemort smiled, but it was the coldest smile I had ever seen. It was sarcastic, leering, unfeeling. It was the smile of someone who knew that they were going to win. Easily.

"Well well well, what do we have here?" He said. His voice caressed each syllable, soft but audible to every pair of ears in the room. It sent shivers down my spine. Remus wrapped his arm around me, pulling me close. He was shaking slightly.

"STUPEFY!" James roared, ignoring everything the Dark Lord had said. It was as though he didn't realise who he was up against. Voldemort's expression darkened as he calmly deflected the spell with a deft jab of his wand. That sobered up James.

"I don't like people who don't have manners", Voldemort said coldly, "What is your name?"

"James Potter", the Marauder answered, staring Voldemort in the eye.

"Potter. A pureblood. Interesting…you have shown bravery boy and bravery is rewarded. Join me and you will not see your friends die. Your parents were a warm up. My death eaters can-"

"YOU BASTARD!" Sirius bellowed, his voice breaking with emotion at the mention of Charlus and Dorea. "_Stupefy_!"

Once again, Voldemort deflected the spell with ease. He surveyed Sirius with interest, taking in his aristocratic features and haughty grey eyes, the unmistakeable physical traits of any Black.

"A Black. Sirius, your dear cousin Bellatrix informs me. Well boy, with your blood, you will always be welcome to my inner circle", Voldemort said alluringly.

But I couldn't take his bullshit any more. Ignoring Remus' startled protests, I bounded forward as quickly as my injuries would let me go. Remus was just a step behind me.

He was responsible for the war. He was the reason for all of the deaths. He encouraged people to call muggleborns like Lily 'Mudbloods'. It was all because of him and I had had enough of it.

"Sectumsempra!" I yelled, shooting my first curse. Voldemort's surprise at the use of dark magic paused him long enough to prevent him from having time to deflect it. Instead he had to jump to the side. Even then, the curse caught his robe and tore through it.

When Voldemort retaliated with a violet coloured spell, we all geared ourselves up for a battle to the death.

"Tom, you never did learn, did you?" Albus Dumbledore said, his voice audible even over all the other shouts. He struck an oddly impressive figure, in his sky blue robes, the breeze tossing his silver hair and beard, twisting it playfully in the air.

Voldemort took one last glance around but seeing as the odds were stacked against him, he twisted on the spot and disapparated. The death eaters that were still capable of doing so followed his lead.

It was a meagre victory. We had won a battle but not the war. Besides, it had been a costly day. Charlus and Dorea Potter were gone. And they weren't coming back.


	16. Of Nightmares, Flowers and Satin Boxes

_Please review!_

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The next two days were among the darkest hours of my life. The Marauders and Lily all stayed over at my house. The horrors of the battle were fresh in our minds and we relied on each other for support.

Our days were plagued by memories as we tried to organise the double funeral. Night time was ruled by nightmares. Every night someone woke up screaming, trembling and soaked in sweat.

James was an empty shell. He was still in shock from the sudden and very violent loss of his parents. Lily trailed after him, desperate to comfort him despite the tears that trailed silently down her face. The sheer scale of the battle had shocked her and robbed her of her innocence.

Sirius was in a foul mood. He began to binge drink on fire whiskey and would roar at anyone who tried to talk some sense into him. He would then proceed to turn into Padfoot and sleep in a corner for hours, whining softly. He chose to deal with it alone. James wasn't the only person who had lost their parents.

Peter was terrified. The battle had really hit home with him. In his head he had hoped that he would simply be able to hide from the war. Joining the Order was clearly not one of his better ideas. The realisation that he could be killed so quickly and violently had stunned him.

Remus had been my pillar of support. I tended to be the kind of person that could be read like a book. By day, Remus and I would immerse ourselves in funeral arrangements. My mum helped us, giving us useful contacts. Remus had a knack of wrestling answers from James on whether he wanted lilies or roses and walnut or oak coffins. I then set the wheels in motion and made the relative phone calls.

But by night, exhaustion and grief set in and I cried myself to sleep in Remus' arms. Even my mother cast a blind eye on the sharing bedroom thing after hearing my heart wrenching sobs on the first night.

The day of the funeral finally arrived. The sun was splitting the stones, rare for the month of September. It was as though the world was bidding farewell to the elderly Potters.

A combination of pansies and roses decorated the small church in Godric's Hollow. They represented loss, remembrance and of course, love. The love that the couple had for each other, their extended family and the love we have for them in return.

The church was full of people. Charlus and Dorea had reached out to so many people in their lifetime. They hadn't wasted opportunities. Their network of friends was impressive even if it meant an increased quantity of people that were mourning over their deaths. There wasn't an empty seat in the building.

James and Sirius looked like death themselves. The two young men, brothers in all but blood, sat side by side, grieving silently. Their bloodshot eyes were fixated upon the two looming mahogany coffins. Their girlfriends sat beside them, desperate to offer whatever support they could.

I swallowed with difficulty due to the lump in my throat as the priest came into view and took to the altar. He rambled on about life and death but I couldn't pay attention. He didn't know the Potters, what right did he have to talk about them?

Exhaustion, frustration and grief joined forces and together, they were too much for me to handle. I broke into floods of tears, my entire body racking with sobs. I could barely breathe. Remus pulled me closer to him, whispering comforting words into my ear. I buried my head into his chest, hiding from the world. He patted my head.

Eventually the priest stopped rambling and James stood in front of everyone. I wiped my eyes vigorously, furious at myself for having lost my composure in front of everyone.

"Thank you everyone for coming here today. I cannot tell you how much it means to me-or to them. I didn't realise just how many people my mum and dad knew, I didn't know how many people they influences or how many people cared for them. But I can see it now." James began, his voice wobbling slightly. He cleared his throat and continued, determined to get his point across before he broke down. Lily's eyes were glued to his face, reading his expression, itching to run over and comfort him.

"My mum and dad were-are-brilliant people and I know that I don't have to tell you that. My father was one of the hardest workers you'll ever have met. He'd give Lily a run for her money! He was talented in his work and commanded respect in the Auror department not because he was nasty but because anyone could see how much it meant to him. He was a man with strong morals and to be in the position to act upon these morals made him enjoy his job." James' hazel eyes were glistening with tears. Abandoning any pretence, Lily was suddenly at his side, gripping his hand tightly.

"My mum, Dorea was a selfless woman. She had a heart the size of the universe itself. When a sixteen year old Sirius turned up on my doorstep she invited him in and called him 'son' ever since. Not many light families would do that for the heir to the noble house of Black but my mother had that rare ability to look at someone, really look at them. She wouldn't see what the majority of people would see-a stupid rich pureblood brat who hated his parents. She saw a boy who was fighting to live a life without having to live up to his surname. She saw a boy striving to be on the right side in this damned war."

Sirius was staring at James, tears silently sliding down the slopes of his cheekbones. An unspoken conversation passed between the two brothers. Words weren't necessary to tell a tale of the heart. The two of them knew that.

"But one thing that stood out about my parents was the love that they had for each other. They were together for forty-five years and the bond they shared cannot be described with words. When they looked into each other's eyes, you could feel the magic. That was something that they wanted to pass on to me and with the help of the beautiful girl beside me, I hope I can fulfil their wish."

His eye's brimming with tears, James Potter went down on one knee, still holding Lily's hand. Her eyes were wide with shock. He produced a small black satin box out of nowhere and opened it to reveal a golden band featuring a red ruby and two small diamonds.

"Lily Evans, I have loved you since I first lay my eyes upon you. When I'm with you, the whole world dims in comparison. I know that you're the one. Will you marry me?"

Lily flung herself at him and kissed him.

"Of course I will, you toerag!"

As the whole room erupted into applause, I could almost feel the presence of Charlus and Dorea. They were watching us and I could sense their approval. They had loved her like a daughter anyway. They still did.


	17. Of Godric's Hollow and Mad-Eye's Nose

_Please Review!_

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I was thrilled for James and Lily. Everyone was. They were truly perfect together. If they had been in love prior to the funeral, they were now inseparable. They did _everything_ together. Before, Lily had banned James from the kitchen for fear that he would somehow blow up the oven but after the engagement he was permitted to watch her cook and even lick the bowl if he behaved himself. They were sickeningly lovey dovey.

In October, they moved into a small house in Godric's Hollow together. It was a two storey cottage with cosy living space, a country style kitchen, two spacious bedrooms and a box room that they used as an office for their paperwork. The garden was small and neat, a green lawn bordered by flowerbeds.

Godric's Hollow itself was the ideal location for them to live. As it was a wizarding village, the chance of a death eater attack was reduced, seeing as there were thousands of muggle settlements for them to raid. Safety was a prime concern these days.

It was mid-November and the Marauders, Frank, Alice, Lily and Marlene were gathered in Godric's Hollow. Lily had named the three of us bridesmaids, and also gave me the bonus of being maid-of-honour. Whilst the boys were laughing and drinking firewhiskey in the kitchen, we girls took over the living room and sipped at coffees whilst flicking through countless bridal magazines.

"The date is set", Lily suddenly announced, "We've booked for Christmas Day. I've always wanted a Winter wedding!"

We squealed so loudly that a concerned Remus entered the room with a glass of Butterbeer in his hand.

"Are you girls okay?"

"YES!" We screeched. He raised his eyebrows and wisely chose to leave the room of girls in favour of the lads.

"That gives us like no time to prepare!" Marlene exclaimed, suddenly rifling through the magazines as though her life depended upon it. The look of concentration her face was as though she were performing heart surgery.

"There's so much to do", I moaned.

"Dresses."

"Flowers."

"Guests."

"Food."

"Well, I've got the church booked for three o'clock and I think that we'll have the reception here. I don't want to have a big wedding. Just family and close friends." Lily said. We nodded in agreement. "I've already written a first draft of a guest list."

"That's great. How many people were on it?" Alice asked, folding yet another dog ear to mark a page that she liked.

"Just under fifty people. Not everyone will come of course, so we're looking at around forty-five, numbers wise. I'll get you guys to check the list to make sure that I didn't forget anyone." Lily answered, glancing briefly at a dress that Marlene shoved under her nose.

"That's a good number. Not too many and not too few", Marlene commented.

"Yeah, it's nice and personal. I was thinking of perhaps a silvery blue for your dresses, to keep in with the snowy winter theme. It's a great colour on all of you."

"I love that colour!" Alice exclaimed. Lily smiled warmly at her.

"What about the honeymoon?" I asked.

"James owns an estate in the Canary Islands that we'll go to for a week", Lily grinned, already picturing sandy beaches.

Suddenly, a misty Phoenix Patronus appeared in the living room. The atmosphere in the room instantly became tense. We sprung to our feet. The boys entered the room, alert and suddenly sobered up.

"Order Meeting in my office now", the voice of Albus Dumbledore rang in our ears. We wasted no time and with our hearts pounding in our chests, we dived into the green flames in the ever ready fireplace.

We were the last people to arrive.

"There's a death eater attack in Liverpool. Limit the damage, disable death eaters. This is more of a secrecy problem than anything else." Dumbledore said quickly, before handing us several portkeys. I placed a finger on the ripped teddy bear and the world contorted around me.

When we detangled ourselves from the pile of limbs we pulled ourselves to our feet. We were in a suburban town. Buildings were half demolished, terrified screams and pleas for mercy filled the air and the dark night sky was illuminated by flashing curses.

Before I could assess the situation, several beams of light shot towards us. I cursed and barked a protective enchantment that stopped the spell in mid-air. James pulled Lily out of the way of a purple flash, anger and terror evident on his face. He roared a curse back and it hit its target, smashing his opponent's legs. He and Lily worked brilliantly as a team with her defending and him attacking.

In the distance, Moody brutally murdered Evan Rosier, exploding him into a million pieces and bellowing in pain as it tore a chunk from his nose. Never mess with Mad-Eye. He doesn't do things by halves and has a certain liking for drama. Rosier found that out the hard way and had to face the consequences.

I fought back to back with Remus. His company was welcome. Somehow even in the midst of battle, I knew that we would be okay. Because we were together.

Dolohov had once again set his sights on me and he was joined by Amycus Carrow, a fat, sadistic and unremarkable man in mask. I barely had a chance to acknowledge that Remus was faced with his worst nightmare-Fenrir Greyback as well as another death eater.

Dolohov sent a relentless stream of curses at me. Carrow took his time, relishing in watching me struggle to defend myself and hitting me with a painful jinx just after a cutting curse slit open my abdomen.

I doubled over in pain and stared in horror as my flesh literally melted away, exposing a sliver of white that I assumed to be my rib. Bile rose to my mouth and I spat it at the death eaters. The distraction enabled me to hit Carrow with Petrificus Totalus and the fat lump fell to the ground with a satisfactory thump.

Dolohov growled and spat at his fallen comrade. And then he aimed his wand at me, fed up with games.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The green light whizzed towards me. My eyes widened and I tackled Remus to the floor, keeping him out of the deadly path of the spell. It flew over our heads and struck one of the death eaters Remus had been battling. We were both breathing heavily. We struggled to our feet.

Having lost patience, I went for a different approach. I shot a quick stunner at Dolohov and whilst he side stepped that I launched myself at him, knocked his wand out of his hand and punched him in the face. As quickly as I could, I stunned him but not before one of his hands got free and collided with my nose, breaking it in not one but two places.

I put my hand over the bloody mess that was my nose and stared at the hole in my ribcage and stomach. Then, my eyes rolled to the back of my head and I blacked out.

Just another day at work, of course.


	18. Of Wedding Bells

_Time for the wedding! Please review!_

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The month of December was relatively uneventful as far as Death Eater attacks were concerned. We were only called out on two raids. It was a nice Christmas present for them to give us. How thoughtful.

Having said that, we weren't sitting down doing nothing. Wedding preparations were in full swing. The dresses had been tailored, invitations made, flowers ordered and food arranged.

I just prayed that it would snow. A Christmas wedding with snow, just how perfect would that be?

"ALICE! WHERE'S MY NAIL POLISH?" Marlene shrieked at the top of her voice.

"IT'S IN THE KITCHEN ON THE COUNTER!" Alice roared in reply. Marlene instantly perked up and raced for her silvery nail polish.

A burning smell filled the house and the smoke alarms in Lily's parents' house went off.

"THE OVEN'S ON FIRE!" Marlene screamed. I rolled my eyes and focused on the hyperventilating girl before me.

"Oh Godric. I can't do this. I can't do this. He's not going to want to marry me. I can't do this." Lily said in a shaky voice. She was green with nerves. I slapped her on the face and she stared at me in shock.

"You listen to me. James Potter loves you to pieces. Today you will make it more official. Today is the start of the rest of your lives together in a house with millions of mini-Prongs and mini-Lilies." I told her firmly. She nodded weakly.

"Right. Thanks. Is it dress time yet?"

Who said the morning of a wedding was easy?

As if they had heard the word 'dress' Marlene, Alice and Lily's mum Rose appeared at the doorway. Rose had a bag in her hand and carefully unzipped it to reveal Lily's gown.

Between the four of us, we soon had Lily in her dress and she looked simply stunning. Lily stared at herself in wonder in the mirror. With lace sleeves leaving her shoulders bare, material that hugged her chest and flowed out at her waist, her dress was beautiful. The full skirt was layered with ruffled material and glistened in a way that reminded me of snow falling. It was perfect.

Marlene artfully applied make-up, smoothing her complexion and leaving the overall affect very natural. Alice and I teased her fiery hair into gentle ringlets that tumbled over her shoulders and stopped mid-way down her back. Marlene gently placed her antique lace veil that Dorea Potter had worn on her wedding day to Charlus and I carefully adjusted the simple silver tiara. She looked perfect. We all sniffed back tears.

Next Marlene, Alice and I got dressed. We wore a simple silvery blue full length dress with a sweetheart neckline. The bust was decorated with some sweet sequins and, like Lily, we tied in with the Winter theme nicely. Our make-up was also done and this time Marlene used silver on our eyes so that they sparkled. Our hair was twisted back in a simple yet elegant up do. Slipping into our silver shoes and grabbing our flower arrangements, we were ready.

The church was filled with blossoms and a flute thrilled in the background. Marlene led the procession, followed by Alice who was in front of me. Finally came the radiant bride, arm-in-arm with a very proud Mr Evans.

James had scrubbed up very well and looked charming in his tuxedo. His hair was half tamed and I grinned when I thought about how long that would have taken. His eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw Lily and he smiled that white lopsided grin of his. The first Marauder to be married. Sirius, Remus and Peter stood by his side. His best men.

As the priest droned on, my attention was drawn to my boyfriend. I always knew that he was blessed in the looks department but he looked especially dashing that day. His tuxedo was a startling contrast to his usual worn out clothes. The opposite to James, his tawny hair had been messed up and fixed in place with gel. His smile which had been getting more and more forced everyday was sparkling. His warm chocolate gaze met mine and he winked flirtatiously. The only thing that marred his face were the scars but to me, they made him even more attractive.

We were snapped out of our personal world when James' voice made his vows. His voice was steady and determined, his hazel eyes burning into Lily's.

"I James Potter have never been so sure of anything in my life. Lily, I have loved you ever since I first set eyes on you eight years ago and I will love you as long as we both live. Every second spent away from you is torture as when we are together the stars dim in comparison. I will be your shoulder to cry on, your friend to laugh with and your lover. Now I pledge my heart to you for eternity as I take you as my wife."

"James, with you the world seems to be a better place. With you, I feel safe. With you, I feel loved. With you, I am complete. I promise to love you, care for you and die for you if necessary. You have become a part of me and without you I can survive but cannot live. I pledge my heart to you even though you already have it. I promise to love you as my husband. Always."

As the priest declared the couple man and wife, there wasn't a dry eye in the building. Going for the kill, James dipped Lily and claimed her lips to a round of applause.

The reception was held in Godric's Hollow. A team of ten had taken three days to build an igloo (more of a palace made of ice) in the garden. It was warm and spacious inside, decorated lavishly with ice sculptures and blue flames in silver lanterns. The long tables were laden with any kind of food imaginable and the dance floor was already full of exuberant dancers including Remus and I.

I was such a clumsy dancer that I went limp in Remus' strong, capable hands. He led me through a series of elaborate dances. Everyone stopped and stared at our passionate tango. It was so hot I was afraid that we'd melt the igloo.

Suddenly Sirius grabbed my arm. His usually composed face was red with exertion and I was sure that I didn't look any better.

"Speeches", he puffed. I gave Remus a long goodbye kiss that caused Sirius to sigh impatiently.

"Come on lover-wolves, I don't have all night", he sang sarcastically. He pulled me to the stage and applied a sonorus charm on both of us to amplify our voices. I was proud of my speech and had learned it off by heart.

"Speech time!" Sirius yelled, almost deafening everyone in the room. "As muggles say: ladies first." He smiled as I glowered at him.

"Lily and James first met in first year when he insulted her best friends and she angrily defended him. Needless to say that wasn't the best of starts. James proceeded to become enamoured with Lily and began pestering her relentlessly for the next seven years. Each time, she would shout at him and hex him. It was really entertaining because she never used the same hex twice. Do you remember that one when she turned his ba-"

James coughed loudly and turned beetroot red.

"Anyway, by seventh year they had both changed and Lily soon saw sense. They blossomed as a couple and as you can all see today, they make a great team. They balance each other: James' imagination and Lily's practicality. James' recklessness and Lily's sensibility. You get the picture. I would like you all to join me in a toast. To James and Lily!"

"To James and Lily!" Everyone chorused. There was a lot of glasses clinking.

"Well that was utterly useless!" Sirius snorted, grabbing everyone's attention. I pretended to toss my wine at him and everyone laughed at our sibling-like antics.

"James has been my brother since first year. From the very start I had to put up with him yapping about this red-haired girl. 'She has a face like an angel' 'Her hair is like a phoenix burning' he told me every day. When she hexed him for asking her out he only said 'Her temper is such a turn on' and became even more determined to win her over."

"Good job James Potter is the most stubborn and persistent person I have ever met because if he wasn't we wouldn't be standing here and Lily would probably marry…Snivellus." He shivered. James went green at the thought and grabbed at Lily possessively.

"Anyway, thankfully things worked out and I look forward to meeting red-haired specky-eyed Prongslets in the future. To James, Lily and their many future babies!"

"To James, Lily and their many future babies!" Everyone laughed, once again toasting the happy couple.

The dancing continued on late into the night. At the stroke of midnight, I found myself under the stars with Remus. My hair had fallen out of its elegant up do from our… activities and his jacket had long since been discarded.

It was a perfect moment. We could hear our friends having a good time in the background. If I could have frozen that moment, I would have. Luckily someone did it for us and I heard the flash of a camera.

As the clock struck twelve, a single white snowflake fell from the sky and landed upon my palm.

Magic doesn't always require a wand. Just someone you love because that moment was truly magical.


	19. Of Sneaking, Skeeter and Spies

_The first Peter chapter, I hope that you all enjoy. Please review!_

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**Peter POV:**

I'm a Marauder, albeit the invisible one. Everyone sighs in annoyance when my name is mentioned. According to them, I'm the stupid fat kid who trails after James and Sirius to become popular, to be noticed.

The Marauders, they were all special. All except me. Take James for example. He was one of those rare people that everyone instantly liked. A descendent of one of the oldest pureblood families, he was born into extreme wealth. If that wasn't enough, he was handsome, witty and very talented at schoolwork, especially Transfiguration. And he was a Quidditch star.

Sirius was the best looking guy in the school having been blessed with haughty, aristocratic features, mesmerising silver eyes and inky black hair. He was brave and opinionated, and unafraid to stand up for his beliefs. He too was gifted in almost every area and was one of the school's most talented duellists. Not to mention that he was the definition of bad ass. Girls like bad ass and therefore girls like Sirius.

Remus was striking in his own way. He might be overlooked when compared against James and Sirius, but upon second glance, he was captivating. He was attractive with a kind smile and warm eyes. He had a mysterious aura enhanced by his scarred skin. He was different in being a werewolf. And he was smart. Not to mention that he bagged the only female Marauder, a feat that many had tried and failed to do.

Amy was stunning. I had a four year crush on her where I dreamed of her heavenly figure, chocolate curls and striking amber eyes. She was kind-hearted but could be feisty when she wanted to be. She was gifted with wandless magic and was capable of winning a battle against an Auror in fifth year. Beautiful, smart and talented: what more could a guy ask for in a girl? She had it all. They all did.

And then there's me. The short, slightly overweight guy with no special talents except eating. The one who fails exams. Plain features, not ugly but unremarkable. Watery blue eyes and mousy hair. The one who didn't get his first kiss until a game of spin the wand in fifth year.

Normal. Plain. Boring.

But even following the most popular kids in the school didn't make me well known.

Life is like a chess game; one big game involving logic, brains and strategy to win. Unfortunately I don't have any of those so naturally I tend to lose out. The world needs its big pieces; the king, queen, bishop, castle and knight but the truth is that it can't do anything without the pawns. Of course, being a pawn, I cheered up slightly when I came to that metaphorical conclusion. Remus would be proud of me.

When we became animagi, the possibility of promotion occurred to me. From pawn to rook or knight. I could do something that only a very small percentage of people can do. And I did it with the Marauders. I had Remus' undying gratitude and I was even further invested in their exclusive club. It made me feel like I belonged.

And then it all changed. Lily finally agreed to go on a date with James. Remus and Amy eventually came to their senses and started going out. Sirius unexpectedly asked Marlene out.

They were all inseparable.

And as usual, I was the one left behind. I was the only one without a girlfriend.

And now James and Lily were married.

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Those were the thoughts that led to my dark mood as I shuffled down Diagon Alley on my lunch break from the Daily Prophet. I really enjoyed work. For the first time ever I was actually really good at something. The editor was really pleased with my reporting and I even caught Rita Skeeter's attention. No one needs to know that being able to turn into a rat makes eavesdropping really easy.

I was just passing the apothecary when I saw two figures dressed in black cloaks heading in my direction. I could have panicked and fled but I gathered every ounce of 'Gryffindor courage' that I possessed and I gazed in the window of the apothecary as though I was interested in the window display. My hope was that they'd ignore me. Like everyone else does.

I could feel eyes burning into my back and I resisted the urge to turn around. I felt the anti-apparition wards. My heart rated sped up and I wiped my sweaty palms off my cloak. I began walking quickly, listening intently to my surroundings. At least two pairs of feet were following me.

Somehow I ended up in the worst place possible. Knockturn Alley. And if that wasn't bad enough, it was a dead end. And other than the two cloaked strangers, I was alone. And the anti-apparition wards were still there.

"P-please d-don't k-kill me", I stammered, cursing myself for the fear evident in my voice. James had talked in a stronger voice to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for crying out loud!

The two cloaked figures came to a halt directly in front of me, blocking my escape. They were both taller than me. Both clutched a wand in their fingers which looked extremely white in contrast to the darkness of their shadowy cloaks.

The shorter figure laughed. It was a cold, mirthless sound of someone who was laughing at someone inferior to them. It sounded insane. It was also feminine.

"Well, well, well, Peter Pettigrew", the other figure said and this time I could place a face to the voice. Lucius Malfoy. Prefect when I was in first year. Pureblooded. Slytherin, of course. I flinched when he said my name.

"Yes, we've wanted to have a little chat with you for a while now", the woman said patronisingly. Her hood slipped a little and I caught a glimpse of her face. Her skin was as white as that of a corpse but vestiges of beauty remained. She had the same features and same grey eyes as Sirius but somehow hers were colder. She was clearly a Black.

I let out an involuntary squeak of fear.

"You see Peter, we like you. And we think that we have a lot to offer you. Money. Power. Women." Lucius said smoothly. I frowned suspiciously and found my voice at last.

"In exchange for what?" I said, thankful that I managed not to stutter like an idiot again.

"Information", the Black said and I could picture her smirking. "We want you to be our spy. The Dark Lord's spy. You get us information, you get what we have already promised and you and your family stay safe."

Information. They wanted me to betray my friends. But were they really my friends? They were nearly always teasing me, picking on me, making me feel small. Having said that, James and Sirius always defended me against Slytherin's who hexed me for their own amusement. Remus stayed up the night before our Defence Against the Dark Arts N.E.W.T to clear up my confusion over inferi. Amy helped me more than anyone else to become an animagus.

I couldn't do that to them could I?

Suddenly, I saw it. Me on top, with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named wearing a gold crown and laughing with an adoring Amy on my arm. James, Sirius, Remus, Lily all pale, bloodstained and motionless at my feet.

But I couldn't do that.

"NO!" I roared. Accidental magic lit within me and I confounded the two death eaters by accident. Without pausing to survey my work, I transformed into Wormtail and scurried down the street until I could get past the wards and apparate home.


	20. Of Houses, Hospitals and Darkness

_A super fast update to mark the half-way point in the story. I would like to dedicate this chapter to Mystic Viccer and warewolf-princess559750 who have reviewed continuously. Thanks guys! Please review!_

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In February, Remus and I moved into a house fifteen minutes away from Godric's Hollow. It was in the country side, in a forest similar to the Forbidden Forest in Hogwarts which is what made it so appealing to us in the first place. As there weren't any neighbours for miles, it was safe for Remus to be roam wild when he transformed so long as I was there with him.

The cottage itself was nothing grand. It was small and old and falling to pieces in places. It was work-in-progress. It had a cosy living room with an open fireplace where we spent most of our time. We knocked the wall separating the kitchen and small dining room to make a bright kitchen/diner. There was a small downstairs toilet and two double bedrooms upstairs, with a door in each which led to the large upstairs bathroom.

Sure there was no flooring upstairs, there may have been a few cracks in the walls and I might have set the kitchen on fire twice in a fortnight but it was the first place that Remus and I could call home together and because of that it was perfect.

By mid-March, the cottage was declared habitable and Remus and I held a small gathering consisting of the Marauders, Frank, Gideon, Fabian, Lily, Alice, Marlene and Emmeline. Hagrid also promised to arrive later as he was having problems with the Thestrals. They had been attacking the student's owls.

Remus and Sirius had just arrived back with a fresh crate of butterbeer when suddenly a shimmering Patronus burst into the room, giving Peter such a shock that he slopped his drink down his front.

"Mass Death Eater attack at St Mungo's. Need all available hands. Good luck." The phoenix said in the solemn tones of Albus Dumbledore.

"How can they do that to people who are already sick and injured?" Alice asked, aghast.

"We need to save them", Lily said firmly, her eyes brimming with tears as she pictured people she had been working with dead.

"Well what are we waiting for?" Gideon asked, always ready for adventure.

"Let's kick some Death Eater ass!" Fabian declared.

Remus and I exchanged worried glances. Mass death eater attack. How many of them were there?

"Pair up and watch your partner's back", I commanded, trying to keep control of the situation.

"Are you ready?" James asked. We nodded wordlessly in reply.

_I love you guys. _I thought solemnly as the pull of apparition dragged me from my safe home to the middle of a battlefield.

My jaw dropped open when I found myself in what used to be a clean and functional lobby in the hospital. Now it was a setting that would star in nightmares. The walls were smoking piles of rubble and at least a dozen bodies lay motionless on the ground. Puddles of blood made the floor slippery.

The noise. Screams of the tortured rang through the air, setting the hairs at the back of my neck on end. Men, women, children, sick, injured, healthy, all butchered callously.

It ignited fury in my chest. I saw red.

My back pressed up against Remus', I lashed out at the nearest Death Eater. A tall, bear of a man, he clearly lacked brains as he eagerly stumbled towards me, anticipating a duel. Then he slipped on the blood. I took quick advantage.

"Sectumsempra!"

Large gashes instantly appeared in his skin and welled with blood. He fell to the ground, moaning. I took a leaf out of Moody's book and exploded him to shreds. One big crimson stain was all that was left of him. I felt Remus' back stiffen in shock at my actions.

In the distance, I saw a little girl aged no more than four or five cowering in a corner. She was the image of innocence; blonde hair in pigtails, wide blue eyes. She was even clutching at a teddy bear. Two masked bastards were advancing on her.

Struck by an impulse to protect the little girl, I ran so fast that it was though I had apparated to her side. Placing myself in front of her, a feeling of pure hatred coursed through me. The Death Eaters laughed maliciously and that fuelled my fury to the brink.

I pointed my wand at the taller of the two and said, for the first time in my life, "Avada Kedavra!"

A blinding flash of luminous green light struck its target. Before the second man had a chance to retaliate, he had joined his comrade on the ground, dead.

I turned to comfort the girl, to tell her that she was safe, that no one was going to hurt her. Her blue eyes reflected terror and a shadow that was directly behind me. I whipped around. It was him. He was back.

Voldemort.

And he was even more terrifying than last time.

Remus' fear at me left facing Voldemort with no one but a five year old girl caused him to accidently chop off his opponents head and race to my side.

He may have been pale, cut in several places, out of breath and splattered with blood but at that moment when I was frozen with fear, he was my knight in shining armour.

"Miss Griffon, the Gryffindor princess murdering my Death Eaters?" Voldemort tutted, showing no sense of loss over his fallen supporters. "Does Dumbledore know that you have taken to the Unforgivables? How..._Slytherin_ of you."

I did my best to stare defiantly at him.

"Last chance to join my ranks Miss Griffon. Your werewolf boyfriend is welcome too. He and Grayback will get along together nicely."

For the second time, I lost my head.

"You leave Remus out of this!" I roared.

"Touched a nerve did I? I'm waiting for an answer Miss Griffon, and I warn you, I'm not a patient person", he hissed.

"No", I snapped, irritated with his patronising tones. His expression darkened.

"Very well have it your way." And then he shot a cruciatus curse at us. We ducked together and rolled out of the way of several curses that tracked our movements.

I was suddenly aware of Lily and James' presence because the attacks paused for long enough for us to clamber to our feet. The four of us began shooting curses at Voldemort simultaneously but somehow he matched us, even sending curses of his own.

A stray Sectumsempra hit me and I yelped as the wounds deepened. The tang of blood filled my mouth. Clutching one of the deeper injuries with my hand, I somehow managed to stay on my feet even if I swayed as though I were drunk.

One of my cutting curses hit Voldemort on the chest and I grinned triumphantly. My smile died on my lips when I saw a light heading in Remus' direction.

It was a deep purple hue and it was pulsing.

I recognised it from training. Dark magic.

Remus hadn't even spotted it.

Without a second thought, I summoned what was left of my energy and launched myself through the air, in front of Remus. My arms were widespread. Time froze and it seemed as though I was embracing the light.

It struck me on the chest.

I hit the ground with a thud.

In the distance someone screamed my name.

Pain. It burned.

It started at my heart. It pounded faster than any heart had pounded before. I inhaled sharply but suddenly it was as though I were drowning. The air didn't reach my lungs. I was burning and drowning at the same time.

My _head. _Like something was chewing at my brain.

My abdomen. Like when my appendix had gone wrong but one hundred times sharper.

My skin. Sizzling like an egg on a frying pan.

I welcomed the darkness.


	21. Of Darkness, Tunnels and Voices

_Please review!_

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The little girl was in front of me, just out of my reach. She skipped away, beckoning for me to follow. I tried to, but my legs were as heavy as lead. I trudged slowly after her. She was calling my name, but I wasn't quick enough to reach her.

She had reached a blinding tunnel of light. I shielded my eyes from the brightness.

"Wait!" I yelled. My voice came out as a croak. "Wait for me!"

The little girl turned around. I caught one last glimpse of her angelic face. A small serene smile tugged at her lips. She looked peaceful.

Then she was gone.

The light faded as I came within reach of it. It dimmed rapidly until I was left in darkness. This time it terrified me. Where was I? Where was everyone else? I was alone, and out of reach of all whom I loved.

"Amy", a voice said in tender tones. I felt like I had heard the voice before, as though I should recognise it but in the darkness, my mind was foggy. I looked around, half-hoping that I could see where it was coming from. But there was nothing but empty darkness.

"Amy", the voice repeated. It sounded thicker this time, as though the person was close to tears.

A small ball of light flickered near to where the tunnel had been. It grew in size and became brighter with each passing second.

"AMY!" The voice yelled in the tones of someone who was panicking. "DON'T LEAVE ME!"

I wanted to reassure the voice that I wouldn't leave but suddenly an invisible force began to lure me towards the light. I fought against it, but it was like gravity. You can't fight it. You won't win.

"AMY!" The voice screamed.

I felt a weird sensation in my chest, where my heart is. Then a warmth flooded through me and the pull lessened. The light faded. I was plunged into darkness. Again.

But this time the darkness was different. I tried to move, but for some reason my body just wouldn't co-operate. My eyes were sealed shut.

"Amy", the voice said again. It was closer this time. As though it were right beside me.

I became aware of something in my hand. Something warm.

"Amy, can you hear me? Please, please wake up."

Wake up? I was clearly awake. It wasn't my fault that my eyes were closed, I couldn't do anything about that.

"Amy, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand."

A hand. That was what was in my hand. I tried to imagine my fingers and willed them to move. I wanted to reassure this person that I was all right. It felt like ages but eventually one of my fingers twitched and curled inwards to grasp the hand more firmly. The other fingers struggled to follow suit but finally, they too followed my orders.

"She did it! Guys she can hear me! She squeezed my hand! Get Poppy!"

I relaxed, happy that the voice understood that I was all right. I wondered vaguely who 'Poppy' was.

"Remus, it's been four days. You're imagining things", another voice said wearily. Again I felt as though I knew this person.

So the first voice was Remus? For some reason, that sounded familiar. I strained to hear what would be said next.

"I swear to Merlin, Lily, she squeezed my hand. There! She did it again!" Remus exclaimed. I relaxed for a moment, happy now that Remus knew that I was there.

"I saw it Lily! She's coming back!" Yet another voice had joined in. I was happy that it was taking Remus' side in this. I needed to show Lily that I was here. She didn't believe in me.

I focused on my eyes and commanded them to open. They were so heavy. Each eyelash was like a dumbbell, weighing them down even further. Slowly, they began to flicker open and a room swam into view.

The haze in my mind vanished when I focused on the people around me. It had been so hard to remember when it was dark but the light brought my memories back to me.

"Remus", I croaked so softly that he had to lean in to hear me. His tawny hair was messy and he had dark shadows beneath his tired brown eyes but he had a grin stretching from ear to ear on his face.

"Amy, don't you ever do that to me ever again," he said sternly, the effect somewhat ruined by the tears in his eyes. "I love you so much."

"Amy!" Lily cried and she flung her arms around me. Searing pain flared through me and I yelped, suddenly aware of the wad of bandages encasing my abdomen, and the collection of potions bottles at my bedside.

"Good to have you back Faolan", Sirius said, pure relief evident in his silver eyes.

"Even better to be back", I replied. James laughed.

"At least you still have your sense of humour!" He joked, getting a dig in the ribs from his disapproving wife.

"Honestly James", she snapped.

"Do you remember what happened?" Remus asked tentatively.

The purple curse. The little girl.

"The little girl. The one I saved. Is she all right? Did she survive?"

They exchanged glances and my heart dropped.

"I'm sorry Amy", Remus said softly. "She got hit by a killing curse just before I could apparate both you and her out of there. Her name was Lucy by the way. Her parents were very grateful for your efforts. They brought you these lilies."

I fingered one of the leaves, choking back a lump in my throat.

"How did you save me?"

"It was a miracle. You should have died." Sirius said bluntly. "The curse targets your organs and had them shut down."

"Dumbledore told us that it was love that bought you enough time for Madame Pomfrey to heal you as much as she could. You took the curse for Remus. The love involved in sacrifice like that was enough to dilute the effects of the darkness of the curse." Lily explained.

"I should be where you are now Amy. I'm so sorry. I'm supposed to protect you." Remus choked, his face burning with guilt. "I won't let it happen again. Amy, when you were lying there, and it seemed as though you wouldn't return to us I realised that I cannot live without you."

He rifled through his coat pockets for a moment. In his hand was a small, black satin box. It revealed a simple gold band and a round piece of amber. Amber representing laughter, a sense of humour and unconditional love.

"Amy Griffon I love you, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

I didn't hesitate with my answer.

"Yes!"


	22. Of Champagne and Blushes

_Surprise early update to celebrate the fact that I'm almost finished writing the story! Chapter 34 is finished. Only 6 left to write! Please review!_

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"Sturgis, keep watch over the cave and send me a Patronus should any situations arrive", Dumbledore instructed.

"Of course Albus", Sturgis Podmore quickly agreed.

"Excellent. Well, that round's up this morning's meeting."

"Thank Merlin", James muttered under his breath. No one blamed him. It had been a tedious meeting, full of instructions to guard, protect and patrol. Of course, it felt even longer because of what we had planned for the afternoon.

My mum and Mrs. Lupin were taking my bridesmaids and I dress shopping!

"Good luck Amy", Remus smiled, pulling me in for a long but innocent kiss that left the girls going 'awwwww'. I pulled away, red faced from lack of oxygen and embarrassment.

"Hurry up, the portkey is leaving in two minutes!" Lily told me. I quickly hugged Remus and watched as he disapparated, blinking out of sight.

My bridesmaids or my bitches as I liked to call them were of course Lily, Alice and Marlene. Lily was maid-of-honour and her job was to keep us organised. Alice was the one who would keep us calm and away from each other's throats. Marlene was there because no one knew more about fashion than her and she was the funniest person ever when she was drunk.

Of course, they weren't faultless. Lily had a temper to match her hair and her OCD did get annoying after a while. Alice was the world's loudest snorer. Marlene took ages to get ready in the morning and yet didn't have any patience if it was her who was kept waiting.

But I wouldn't have had it any other way.

The cracked perfume bottle began to glow and we wasted no time in pressing a finger on it. It would have been an awful waste of time if someone got left behind. Our surroundings were blurred and distorted for a moment before we were deposited outside my old home where I was born and raised.

My mum was standing at the door, her face as smiling and welcoming as ever. Her short brown hair was pulled back from her face and she looked ready for business.

"Girls, it's great to see you all", she beamed, hugging each of us in turn and ushering us into the kitchen. Mrs. Lupin was already seated at the circular table, clutching a mug in her hands. Her lined face was tired but when she smiled, her whole demeanour changed.

"I can't wait until we find you the perfect dress", she told me earnestly as she hugged me.

"Me too, Mrs Lupin!" I laughed.

"Don't be silly Amy, call me Karen. After all, we're going to be family soon."

I smiled in appreciation.

"Our first stop is a muggle store in Manchester. I think we'll take the Knight Bus because we can't simply apparate out of thin air." Lily mused aloud.

"Why not?" Alice asked curiously. Her knowledge of the muggle world was limited due to her blood status.

"Muggles don't apparate, duh", Marlene pointed out, rolling her eyes.

"Come on, we need to get going", I said, hopping from one foot to the other in excitement.

The journey was a rough one and I was positive that we would be black and blue by the end of it. Poor Alice was squashed into the window twice.

When we entered the store, classical music sang to us. There was a distinct scent of fresh roses and a blonde women offered us champagne. I got the immediate impression that they were out to impress.

We declined the champagne and the offer of assistance, instead choosing to rifle through the countless dresses by ourselves.

The dresses were all horrible. They were big, white, puffy meringues. Lily and I exchanged incredulous looks and we burst out laughing, much to the assistant's disgust. My mum and Karen ushered us out of the shop and apparated us to a wizarding store in Yorkshire.

I was amazed by some of the differences between the muggle and wizarding dresses. For one, the wizarding dresses had some obviously magical effects. Some were charmed to literally sparkle, some veils flowed in mid-air behind you like a banner, some shoes' heels shrunk when your feet got tired to help you walk.

None of the wedding dresses were to my fancy but as we made to leave, I caught sight of a glimmer of gold behind a purple dress. Marlene shoved the purple dress aside. I picked out three of the gold dresses and handed one of them to each of my bridesmaids.

"Go and try these on", I instructed.

"They're beautiful dresses, I hope they're as nice on as they are on the hanger", Karen said as we waited.

We were not disappointed.

The dresses were full length and a shimmering colour that was somewhere in between gold and champagne. They were halter neck and the straps crossed at the back, exposing a considerable amount of their backs. They fitted each one of them perfectly, hugging their chests and just brushing the floor.

"We'll take them", I announced to the surprised assistant who had lost any hope of us making a purchase. She quickly told me the price, they sure weren't cheap and I suppressed a grin at her expression when I produced the sum in cash.

Unfortunately, finding my dress wasn't as easy as we had hoped. Patience were running thin as we ventured into the sixteenth wedding boutique of the day. This time we accepted the champagne.

Some were too plain. Some were too fussy. Some were too puffy. Some were too tight. Some had too much lace.

"Shall we go?" My mum asked wearily.

And then I saw it.

"Wait a moment", I told her.

I strode over to the rail and shoved the garments on either side of it out of the way.

"I'm going to try this one on", I decided much to their astonishment. "Lils, can you give me a hand?"

"Of course Amy".

I swiftly stripped to my underwear, discarding my clothes in an ungainly heap that seemed out of place in such a fancy dressing room. Then I stepped into the dress.

"Lils, can you button me up?"

The silk curtain was pulled and Lily entered.

"Oh, Amy, wait until you see yourself in the mirror. You look beautiful", she gushed, buttoning up the back of the dress.

I glanced at myself in the mirror beside me. It was like looking at another person. The dress was similar in colour to the bridesmaid dresses although closer to the champagne than the gold. It had a sweetheart neckline and a full length skirt that flowed out from above my waist. It consisted of several layers of gold patterned material that literally sparkled. Each layer gathered at the right of the dress where it was brought together by several golden roses.

It looked as though it had come straight out of a fairytale.

When I stepped out of the dressing room to show the dress to the girls my mother burst into tears.

"Sweetheart, you are stunning. Your dad would be so proud of you", she cried.

I too had tears in my eyes. I was all ready for my wedding. I was ready to spend the rest of my life with Remus. I was ready for the 10th of August.


	23. Will the Wolf Survive?

_ Longest chapter EVER, so I really hope that you enjoy. Okay, I know that Los Lobos didn't release 'Will the Wolf Survive?' until 1984, but it's the perfect song for this scenario! _

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The final two months before the wedding were occupied by training at the ministry and organising the wedding. We decided to have 'Autumn Leaves' as the theme, basing it on the dresses but seeing as we ordered red and golden coloured flowers, it turned into more of a Gryffindor themed wedding. James was kicking himself that he hadn't thought of it for his own wedding.

The biggest surprise in July was a letter from Petunia, Lily's sister. It had been brief and distant but it turned out that she had big news. She was in the early stages of pregnancy. Lily was going to be an aunt. Lily had been ecstatic. Tears of joy had been streaming down her face. She had imagined that the child would snap Petunia out of her senses and that they could renew their friendship but the end of the letter had wiped the smile right off her face.

Petunia had specifically warned Lily to stay away from her and her family. She wrote that she didn't want her unborn child to be influenced by her 'abnormality'. Lily's tears turned from those of joy to those of sadness.

"What did I do Amy? Why won't she let me see her?" An inconsolable Lily cried to me. "Why can't she see that I still love her?"

I was furious, and sent a howler to Petunia without telling anyone. It was probably wrong to give a pregnant woman a fright but it was worth it to imagine her expression when the envelope shouted at her. I suppose that would fall under the category of 'abnormal'.

Lily didn't let the unforeseen setback prevent her from getting involved in the preparations. She booked the ceremony in Godric's Hollow for me. She had hoped that we would choose a lavish setting for our reception but Remus and I had insisted upon keeping it low key. It was decided that we would hold the reception at our home.

Only close friends and family were to be invited. After all, we were still in the midst of a war. Everyone had to be careful who to trust and allow within the safety enchantments.

The boys were spending the night before the wedding at Longbottom Manor. Augusta Longbottom was given the task of 'Marauder-sitting' as she was declared the only one capable of keeping them on a leash. We did tell her to call on Mad-Eye if she had any problems though. He would be sure to set them straight. This time we provided them with hangover cures. We didn't want any complications this time.

Peter and Frank were the groomsmen. Sirius was the best man. James had been mock-outraged when he wasn't asked to stand there with Remus but I could tell that he was truly hurt.

That was until I asked him to walk me up the aisle.

Seeing as both Remus' father and my father were deceased, I had been at a loss as to who would escort me down the aisle. Then I realised that I had a range of honorary brothers to choose from. James seemed to be the best man for the job. I assured him that he could stay the night at Longbottom Manor as long as he was on time in the morning.

My bridesmaids, my mum and Karen spent the night at home. We took it easy, sipping champagne at a relaxed pace. My mum, Alice and Marlene finished setting the tables whilst the rest of us arranged the flowers. Red roses featured amongst golden coloured blossoms. Lily spent an entire two hours charming glasses to refill automatically. Then we all showered and went to bed.

I lay in my four poster bed, staring at the ceiling. In less than 24 hours, I would be Mrs Lupin. I smiled to myself, and despite my combined nerves and excitement, managed to drift off to sleep.

The alarm clock screamed in my ear at half past seven. I sat upright, momentarily confused as to why the bed was empty beside me. Where was Remus? Then I remembered what day it was. The presence of my bridesmaids confirmed that.

"You're getting married!" Alice squealed, diving on top of me.

"I hope that Sirius proposes soon, I'm going to be the last one married at this rate", Marlene said wistfully.

"Don't ruin the mood Marlene. Today is Amy's day!" Lily scolded.

"Come on let's get some breakfast", I said, hoping to silence my grumbling stomach.

"Sure, we don't want a hungry bridezilla on our hands!" Lily laughed. "Come on, your mum and Karen have breakfast ready."

They had prepared a breakfast worthy of a house elf's approval. There were cereals, fruit, yogurt, toast and pancakes. I piled a plate with pancakes and drizzled on some golden syrup. I washed it down with a mug of tea.

"Well, let's start on the hair. I'll do Lily's. Marlene, you do Alice's. Mum, you do Karen's. Then we'll swap." I instructed, suddenly wide awake from the sugar in the golden syrup.

"Lils, what way do you want your hair done?" I asked my maid-of-honour as I combed through her waist-length tangle of fiery curls.

"Well, we were discussing this the other day and we think that we should have our hair the opposite of yours so that you will stand out more. What way do you want your hair?" Lily answered, looking at my reflection in the mirror.

"I was thinking about having it to one side", I told her.

"In that case, it's up with the bridesmaids' hair", she declared. I teased a hair lotion through her locks to make it easier to work with and began to tame her curls. Piece by piece, I pinned it up. The others copied my work. The final results were very elegant, with volume at the front. Karen had opted to keep her tawny hair down. It flowed smoothly just past her shoulders.

We all swapped and this time I was in the chair. After half an hour, my hair twisted around the back from the left side to the right and flowed down to my waist in chocolate waves. My mum's short hair identical in colour to mine was tied back in a simple bun.

Marlene did my make-up. She worked her own magic to give me the bridal glow that she was talking about. My tanned complexion was soon perfect and it was as though she had banished my freckles. She gave coloured my lids in gold which matched the exact hue of my dress than she applied those fake eyelashes and painted my lips in a pale pink colour.

My mum and Karen were ready and they came in to help me into my dress. My mum wore a rustic orange dress that looked beautiful with her brown eyes. Karen was dressed in a very elegant ruby coloured outfit.

Karen held my arm to help me keep my balance as I stepped into the dress. My mum pulled it up and Lily came just in time to help me find where to put my arms. Slowly my mum buttoned up the back.

"Oh, Amy", she sighed, her voice thick with emotion.

"Beautiful"

"Stunning"

"Radiant"

"Remus is going to have a _hard_ time when he sees you", Marlene said wickedly. Lily elbowed her in the ribs and we all shared a much-needed laugh.

Within minutes the doorbell rang. James stood on the doorstep wearing a black tuxedo with long tails and a gold and red striped tie. His messy hair was half tamed for once and I could see my reflection in his polished black shoes. His jaw dropped comically when he saw me and he kissed my hand before pulling me in for a hug.

"You look incredible", he whispered.

"Watch the hair Potter", I joked. "You don't scrub up too badly yourself either." He winked at me before giving Lily a long kiss.

A horse drawn carriage was waiting outside. Since I was young I had loved horses, and the carriage was the only thing that I had been adamant on. It was, of course, in Gryffindor colours from the golden wheels to the red carpet within. It was drawn by four magnificent bay horses. Their mahogany coats shone and their jet black manes swished in the breeze. James helped me into the carriage before lending a hand to the bridesmaids.

"Are you ready?" Lily asked me.

"Definitely. It feels right, you know. I'm meant to be with Remus. I've never been so sure of everything in my life." As I said the words, I felt my stomach unclench. The nerves began to settle and I felt filled with purpose. I wasn't lying, I truly was ready.

We arrived at the church just after two o'clock.

We lined up and Marlene swiftly tweaked my make-up before declaring me 'beautiful'.

Marlene was first followed by Alice and then Lily made her way down the aisle. James kissed the top of my head and I gratefully took his arm. A flute trilled a slow melody that was so sweet it brought tears to my eyes. I was aware of cameras flashing. My face was already sore from smiling. All eyes were on me and I was grateful for James' strength that kept me walking.

Eventually we made it to the top of the aisle. James passed me to my soon-to-be husband. Remus looked so handsome. His chocolate eyes melted my heart.

"I love you", he whispered as the priest began the tedious ceremony.

"I love you too", I whispered back.

"I Remus Lupin offer this ring as a sign of our eternal love. Amy, you are the most beautiful person both inside and out and I am honoured to have you standing beside me today. May you never steal, lie or cheat. But if you must steal, steal my heart. If you must lie, lie beside me every night. And if you must cheat, cheat death. I don't know what the future will bring, but as long as you are beside me, I know that everything will work out. I love you."

"I Amy Griffon offer this ring as a sign of our eternal love. Let us walk together always and let us always walk towards the light. From the moment that we met as children to this moment looking in your eyes and seeing you now I have always loved you. You are the love of my life, my best friend and the man of my dreams.

You make me smile when I'm sad, you make me laugh when I'm in trouble, you kiss me when I'm in a mood and you were there with me when I needed someone to hold. We have already shred many adventures, over-comed so much. Know in your heart when we kiss each other goodnight each night that we are meant to be together."

"I now declare you man and wife", the priest announced. Remus didn't waste any time and he dipped me so low that my hair tipped the ground. His lips met mine and applause erupted through the building.

We paused for fifteen minutes for photographs. By the end of it, I was fed up of cameras. They took pictures of Remus and I, of Remus and I kissing, of Remus, Lily, Sirius and I. They took photos of the bridal party. They took photos of the groomsmen. They only stopped because I was showing warning signs of becoming a bridezilla from hell.

Eventually we arrived back home where we were greeted with applause. Everyone shook our hands and wished us luck.

"Yeh're a lovely couple. An' I'm right happy fer yeh", Hagrid cried, blowing his nose on a tablecloth sized handkerchief.

"Congratulations Mrs Lupin, I knew it was only a matter of time", Minerva said earnestly.

"Love is no excuse to let your emotions rule your work", Moody snarled in his bizarre way of congratulating someone. I decided to take it as a compliment. Who knew what went on in that mind of his?

"Congratulations Amy. It does my heart good to see love in these troubled times", Dumbledore said, ever the eccentric one.

By ten o'clock, the food was eaten and the dance floor was ready. Before the band could start, Sirius tapped a glass.

"Oi! Listen up! It's time for my speech!" he barked. There was instant silence. "Right, now that I've got your attention, I'm not going to bore you all so I'll just say one big thank you." There were some relieved cheers.

"Now for the good part. Remus Lupin. Well, we first met in Hogwarts. Everyone was wondering how the hell a scrawny skinny little bookworm managed to get into Gryffindor. He definitely belonged in Ravenclaw. Being the detectives that we are, we soon found out that he belonged in Gryffindor for being brave enough to go to Hogwarts.

As you all surely know, the groom today is a werewolf. But that's only a small part of him. Everyone here today is lucky enough to know Remus. He is one of the bravest people I have ever met. He is honest, trustworthy and the evil mastermind to half of our reign of terror!"

There was some laughter at that and Remus raised his glass to Minerva and Albus. Minerva looked scandalised. I could almost see her whisper to Albus, 'he was a prefect?'.

"Then somewhere along the way he managed to scoop Amy. Amy was a sister to us so James and I had to pretend to be mad for a while. I think that Moony thought that we had begun to shun him for being a werewolf! But being here today, everyone can see the bond they have. They're like two halves of a full moon!"

Again, there were chuckles.

"Now everyone, get up off your lazy arses and join me in a toast: to Moony and Faolan!"

"To Moony and Faolan!" The room chorused. Lily stood up and gave a nervous laugh.

"Well, I don't know how to follow that! My first impressions of Amy weren't great. She was sitting with the two stuck up black-haired boys who had teased me and my…friend. But afterwards she came and asked to start afresh, just an example of her good nature. We were friends since then."

"Amy is a selfless person. She's not the one to go to if you have a nightmare because she's already there with a mug of cocoa and a friendly ear. She's loyal to no end."

"Amy had trouble trying to identify her feelings for Remus. We all knew that it was going to happen, we just weren't sure as to when. He was her best friend, her brother. How do you go from that to boyfriend? Well it took one nasty boggart that resembled a dementor to bring them to their senses and I never thought I would say it but thank Merlin for boggarts!"

"Amy and Remus just work. It's kind of scary-it's like they can read each other's minds. If one is upset the other just appears. It's like magic! We can all see how in love they are and I know that they're just dying to dance..."

I shot Lily a death glare which brought on a round of laughter.

"So I'll conclude there. Oh, but I am so being Godmother to all of your little wolf cubs! To Remus and Amy, may they live long and stay happy!"

"To Remus and Amy", the room echoed in unison.

No sooner was that said when the band began playing the first song. A hush fell over the room and Remus led me to the dance floor.

"_All odds are against him with a family to provide for…"_

Remus twirled me and I elegantly arched myself into his arm as he dipped me.

_"It's the truth that they all look for the one thing they must keep alive…"_

I glanced into Remus' chocolate eyes. My arms snaked to his neck and my head rested against his chest as we swayed on the spot for the last few lines.

"_Will the wolf survive? Will the wolf survive?"_

"I love you Mrs Lupin", Remus said softly, rushing my lips with his.

"I love you too Moony."

* * *

**Please Review!**


	24. Of Parchment, Curtains and Privacy

_Please review!_

* * *

Our wedding had been the best night of my life and it was followed by our week long honeymoon in Mauritius. I was Mrs Amy Lupin! How incredible does that sound? I kept writing it out again and again in my swirling handwriting on parchment just to get the feel of it.

Remus of course chose that moment to come in from the bathroom. He was dripping water all over the carpet. I grinned when I saw that he was only wearing a towel that hung dangerously low on his waist.

"What are you doing, Mrs Lupin?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I blushed and showed him the parchment. He barked with laughter and flopped down beside me, showering me with droplets of water. I ran my fingers lightly down his chest. His skin was cool beneath my touch from the shower and he shivered.

"Stop teasing", he groaned.

"I'm not teasing", I smirked evilly. I rolled on top of him and kissed him deeply. He eagerly deepened the kiss and drew circles on my back. My own hands roamed across his chest.

The paper lay abandoned on the locker in favour of more…physical activities.

* * *

We really couldn't have chosen a more idyllic location for our honeymoon. We had a luxurious villa to ourselves. The rooms were bright and spacious. We had beautiful views of the beach and to top it off we had a swimming pool and Jacuzzi!

The weather was beautiful. It was warm and sunny everyday although it got cool in the evenings when we went out for dinner.

It was bizarre how normal everything was in the muggle world outside of Europe. They were completely unaware that there was a war that their most powerful weapons would be useless in. A war that if it got even more out of control, could end the world as everyone knew it.

"Remus, what do you think of these curtains? I'm thinking that they might fit in well in the spare bedroom. We haven't really done it up properly yet." I said, pointing at a picture in one of the magazines I had bought featuring everything from fashion and showbiz to sports and, of course, interior design. I was reading it whilst lying on my stomach sunbathing on the beach. It was very peaceful, the only sounds were the waves rolling on to the beach.

Remus froze at the mention of the spare bedroom. Of course, any guys panic at the mention of spare bedrooms. Even James. Lily told me so.

Because wives in general don't like spare bedrooms to remain spare.

I knew that Remus would be a great father one day but it would take some persuading. He hadn't said as much, but I guessed that he wouldn't want to risk passing on the werewolf gene. But Remus could relax for now, I didn't want a baby yet. We were only just married, we deserved a break! Not to mention that with the war situation, it was a less than idyllic time to bring a baby into the world.

"Remus, relax. It's just a matter of privacy. They won't make any difference really but it's physiological. When I'm at home a night by myself, I'll feel safer with curtains drawn." I said, smothering my laughter as he relaxed.

"Then curtains you shall have", he declared, reaching over to give me a kiss, feeling safe in the knowledge that he'd had a lucky escape.

"Remus?" I said cautiously.

"Yeah", he said absentmindedly.

"Remus, I'm scared."

He put down his book and looked at me. When he saw how earnest my expression was, he shifted across the golden sand until he was right beside me. I could count each of his long eyelashes.

"What's wrong?" He asked, his forehead crinkled in worry. He looked physically in pain at the thought of me being upset.

"Remus, we're at war." I stated. He nodded silently, considerately deciding against saying how I had only pointed out the obvious. "People are dying every day. We've got so many friends. And we're all deeply involved. I just can't see how we're all going to make it out of this war alive. It's only a matter of time before someone dies." I swallowed a lump in my throat and angrily wiped tears from my eyes.

"And most of all, I am so, so scared that I'm going to lose you. Remus, if I lose you I don't know what I'll do. You're my life."

Remus smiled faintly and hugged me tightly to him.

"Amy, I'm not going to say that everyone's going to be fine because I don't lie and I don't know what the future will bring. Our friends are powerful and clever witches and wizards. They have a good chance of survival. As for me, well I have no immediate plans for dying!"

I forced out a watery chuckle.

"Amy, we'll make it through this together." He kissed the top of my head. "What brought this on all of a sudden anyway?"

"Everything." I sighed. "The muggles don't even know about us. They don't understand how so many people are dying for such strange reasons. Their vulnerability just made me realise that we're only human too. Sure, we have magic but so do the dark side." I exhaled shakily and changed the direction of the waves wandlessly just to keep myself occupied. I smiled, half-amused as the waves went against nature.

"I know Amy, I know. We have the upper hand though." He countered.

"How?" I asked.

"We have something to fight for. Sure they're fighting for world domination, but that comes from the head. We're fighting for people and that comes from the heart." His chocolate gaze locked on to my face as he said the words so sincerely that they sent goosebumps up my arms.

"I know. I'm sorry for going all blubbery on you. I must be a mess", I tried to smile.

"No, it was good that you told me. It's bad to keep things bottled up. Besides, that's my job!"

"What did I do to deserve you?" I asked, honestly baffled. I must have the best karma ever.


	25. Of Lungs, Teddy Bears and Warzones

Somehow, the Order made it past Christmas without losing any members. Death Eater activity had been at an all time low since Voldemort rose to power. That should have been a relief, but the 'mysterious' disappearances and the lack of raids just left the Order on edge. There was an ominous feeling in the air and for once it wasn't just because of the dementors.

Benjy Fenwick and Edgar Bones had been badly injured by Death Eaters. Benjy had spent three days under Madame Pomfrey's care after he was struck by a dark curse that we couldn't identify. Edgar ended up losing his left leg from the knee down despite Madame Pomfrey's best efforts to save it. Only their expertise at duelling allowed them to survive their close encounters. Of course, this was all covered up in the Daily Prophet and when I combed each newspaper for a week I found that it wasn't even mentioned.

Married life really wasn't that much different to what we had before. Perhaps we were a bit more…passionate. Passionate about everything. Everything we did, we did properly. When we were kissing, we were so tightly wrapped around each other it was as though we were one person. When we fought, Remus would have to sleep on the couch or stay over at Sirius'. We didn't do anything by halves anymore.

Lily and James were still going strong. James still worshipped her as though she was a god and Lily still hexed him if he got too arrogant. However, it was clear that they were in love.

At the end of September, an event occurred that changed their lives and the course of Wizarding history forever.

We were at the Ministry, training with Avaline Tyrell. Apparently we were almost finished our training. The once three year course had been squashed into an eighteen month period at the end of which we would undergo strenuous tests. Assuming we passed, we would then be sent out in the field. And the horrors would truly begin.

"_Stupefy!" _Avaline shouted, sending a flash of light at me. I cursed and rolled out of its path, sending a bone breaking hex at her arm. She yelped in pain as it crushed the bones in her fingers which the light had hit.

"_Flippendo!"_ She yelled in retort.

The curse hit me on the stomach and blasted me backwards into the wall. I heard a sickening crack and a sharp pain stabbed me in the ribs. Small tears of pain began to well in the corners of my eyes. I prayed that nothing internal was harmed. Punctured lung treatments were not pleasant.

I sent a bat-bogey hex her way to distract her whilst I clambered to my feet, wincing in pain.

"_Expelliarmus!" _My wand was whipped out of my hand and fell to the ground three metres in front of me. Time for wandless magic.

"_Diffindo_, _Wingardium Leviosa_", I huffed, slicing and levitating one of the trees in the practice arena. It flew towards Tyrell and I dropped it. She exploded it with a wave of her wand. I launched a shield just in time to protect myself from the worse of the debris but Tyrell was showered in splinters, opening numerous cuts and gashes.

_"Incendio!"_ I yelled, setting her alight as I summoned my wand back. She yelped but quenched the flames before they could harm her badly. Whilst she was distracted, I disarmed and stunned her. When she didn't rise after a minute I went forward to revive her.

"Good job Amy." She smiled, hiding her disappointment at another loss. "You'll have no problems in the duelling assessment."

I beamed at her and then clutched my ribs. Her expression immediately went from from that of a proud teacher's to one of concern.

"Let's get ourselves healed up", she decided. She ushered me out the door where James and Sirius were waiting, each having been healed up after their duels. Alice was still at the infirmary in the Auror department after her duel. She had lost when she fainted from loss of blood due to three deep cuts she had sustained.

"How'd you do?" James asked.

"Bet you won!" Sirius said. They noticed my injuries and ran forward to help me. They half-dragged, half-carried me to the infirmary and they interrogated me over the duel.

"That's six sickles mate", Sirius said, winking at me. "Cough up!"

James scowled and handed Sirius six silver coins.

"You bet against me!" I asked, pretending to be outraged at the stag.

"Not exactly, well, I suppose you could say that, but I regretted it after!" James stuttered, cowering under my glare until I smiled.

"It's okay".

He sighed in relief.

We reached the infirmary. The medi-witch on duty was called Claire and she had become a friend of mine since my first visit at the infirmary. Seeing as I got injured a lot, I saw a lot of her. She was a very motherly woman even though she was only three years older than me. She had just qualified as a medi-witch and was working at the infirmary whilst waiting for a vacancy at St Mungo's.

"Amy! What happened this time?" She put her hands on her hips and mock-glared at me.

"Ribs, I think. Maybe lungs but I hope not." I wheezed in reply. James hoisted me up on to one of the beds.

Claire bustled around me, yanking my t-shirt up, completely ignoring my furious blush at James' and Sirius' widened eyes.

"You two, out!" I shrieked. They ran before I could hex them.

"Hmmm…" Claire muttered to herself as she waved her wand over me to get a diagnosis. She hurried over to her store room and came back with several potions. She popped them into a cup and poured them down my protesting throat. They tasted like tar! You might be wondering how I know what tar tastes like, Bertie Bott is to blame.

"Two broken ribs, several minor cuts. Nothing internal this time, thanks be to Merlin. You'll be black and blue tomorrow so apply this balm over the affected area and they'll disappear within hours." She told me, in total healer mode.

"Thanks Claire", I smiled.

"No bother, but I don't want to see you back in here for at least a week."

"I can't promise that", I laughed, not entirely joking.

Of course, by then I should have known not to jinx myself.

The words had scarcely left my mouth when the door burst open. Moody marched in, his peg leg trailing slightly. A wild eyed James and Sirius followed him.

"Griffon. Out to the field now. I know you're not qualified but we need all hands on deck to restore _Order_ out there." Moody growled. I understood: an Order raid.

"Yes sir. Where?"

"Diagon Alley". I heard Claire's sharp intake of breath.

"Numbers?" I asked, a growing sense of dread in my stomach. Moody wouldn't have called on me when I was in the infirmary unless it was bad.

"About forty, unconfirmed." He said grimly and for the first time since I had met him, he seemed to have lost hope.

"It's okay Moody, we can do it." I tried to smile as I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. He fixed his gaze on me with both eyes. His serious expression made me uncomfortable.

"I like you, lass. Good luck out there. We need more people like you." He said completely uncharacteristically. Before I could interject, he handed Sirius a portkey in the form of a teddy bear.

"Ten seconds".

It glowed slightly and we were whipped from the safety of the infirmary.

And dropped directly into a war zone.


	26. Encounters, Curses and News

_Sorry for the delay in updating. Please review!_

* * *

Diagon Alley was unrecognisable.

The cobbled streets that had once belonged in fairy tales were awash with blood. The shops that lined either side of the street were boarded up. Windows were smashed, covering the ground with splinters of glass.

Screams of terror, roars of agony, chants of spells all echoed through the air. Children raced down the street, seeking cover. They cried out for their parents. They dodged curses. They too, were victims to the death eaters.

Death eaters in black cloaks battled with Aurors, Order members and civilians alike.

I had twenty seconds to scan my surroundings. To my right I saw Gideon and Fabian Prewett fighting back to back. They were fighting with at least five death eaters and another two were motionless at their feet. The brothers were already marked with signs of battle and their curses lost power with each wave of a wand. They were in trouble.

I was about to rush to their aid when I was roughly tackled to the ground.

"Sirius!" I hissed. He merely pointed upwards where I saw a killing curse soar inches over my head. I gulped.

We were spotted. Fresh targets.

James, Sirius and I formed a triangle, shoulder to shoulder. A group of ten or twelve masked foes closed in. They made a circle around us. I held my wand tightly in my sweaty grip and inhaled deeply to calm my nerves.

Then it started.

_"Expelliarmus!"_

_ "Crucio!"_

_ "Stupefy!"_

_ "Avada Kedavra!"_

_ "Diffindo!"_

_ "Sectumsempra!"_

Curses, jinxes and hexes of every colour streaked through the air. Within fifteen minutes, two of our opponents were dead, another two unconscious and a third losing copious amounts of blood from a cutting curse that severed an artery. He wouldn't last long.

We were injured too. Apart from serious exhaustion, both physically, mentally and magically. James's lower arm had been broken by a bone smashing hex and it hung limply at his side. His face was contorted into a grimace of pain. I had been hit by _sectumsempra_ on the leg, luckily it didn't strike too deeply but I needed medical assistance. Sirius had a long burn down his leg but was otherwise unharmed.

As I dodged another cruciatus curse a scream was audible above any other. It was a heart-wrenching sound that could have only meant one thing. It was so full of loss and grief that it brought tears to my eyes.

"NO!" The voice screamed. It reached an impossible pitch. "GIDEON!"

It was Fabian. Gideon was dead.

Through my sobs, I continued to fight for both my life and the lives of my loved ones. I couldn't believe it. Gideon was always so alive. He had always been the one who would lighten the mood. He used to always cheer you up if you were having a bad day. He had been the one to inspire hope.

And now he was gone and he wasn't coming back.

"I'm going over to help Fabian", I told James and Sirius, deflecting a _diffindo_ that would have severed James' hand.

Death eaters blocked my path. I needed to get them out of my way before I would be able to reach Fabian. I had a split second to decide. Praying that I wouldn't hurt any of my friends, I aimed my wand at a nearby shop.

"_Bombardo!"_ I yelled. The brick wall promptly exploded. The force blasted the death eaters out of my way. Stone, dust and brick rained upon us.

Shielding my eyes, I made my way through the newly formed obstacle course.

Before my very eyes, a death eater dodged a curse and spun around to face Fabian. With a cruel laugh he cast the killing curse.

I lunged for Fabian, fervently hoping that I could knock him out of the way.

But I was too late.

The green light struck him on the chest, freezing his expression of determination and grief permanently into his features. His blue eyes saw no more. He joined Gideon in the afterlife.

How was I going to tell Molly? She was pregnant…again. She lost her only two siblings on one day. It would be enough to drive anyone to madness.

A strangled cry erupted from my lungs. A burst of accidental magic burst through me and two death eaters including Fabian's killer were blasted backwards into a wall. I heard a sickening crack and both slumped lifelessly to the ground.

"AMY!" James roared. "Behind you!"

Ignoring instincts that ordered me to turn around, I ducked. A curse flew over my head. I rolled out of the path of another. I shot back three stunners in quick succession that gave me enough time to clamber to my feet.

"Not bad Mrs Lupin. It's a pity to waste such talent."

I involuntarily shuddered. I forced myself to look up even though I knew what was there.

Voldemort was ready to kill.

But I wasn't prepared to die.

_"Sectumsempra!"_ I screeched. My snake nosed opponent only deflected it aside.

"You honestly believe that you can defeat me?" He said incredulously. In that moment I felt all hope drain from me. Exhaustion set in at precisely the wrong moment and I was suddenly aware of every cut, graze and bruise on my body. The suddenly Remus appeared at my side. I was given a new lease of life and once again, adrenaline flowed through my veins. We were trembling, terrified out of our wits but we weren't Gryffindors for nothing.

I looked Voldemort directly in the eye (which probably wasn't too clever if the rumours that he was a legilimens were true). Then, for the first time in my life I raised my wand and uttered the curse with the intent to kill burning in my mind.

"_Avada Kedavra!"_

Voldemort ducked, losing some of that hard-earned dignity. After all, he was mortal just like anyone else, wasn't he? Even he couldn't cheat death.

"Fancy that, the Gryffindor princess using unforgiveables", Voldemort taunted. "Such a pity, you would fit in with my death eaters very nicely."

"Fuck you!" I snarled, magic literally bubbling at my fingertips. His face remained impassive but his eyes betrayed a sliver of emotion.

"Have it your way", he said, smiling coldly. He took out his wand in one fluid motion. "Crucio!"

The sheer speed of his casting meant that there was no way that I could have dodged that beam of light. I couldn't possibly have produced a shield either. Remus pushed me behind him and took the full force of the torture curse on my behalf.

He collapsed to the ground, spasming in pain. His limbs jerked but he remained silent. He had endured the werewolf transformation for years now and had built up a high pain tolerance. Several involuntary yelps of pain escaped him.

I was useless. I fell to the ground by Remus, praying for his pain to stop. Tears rolled down my cheeks.

Then James barrelled straight into Voldemort, knocking him over and breaking the cruciatus curse. James was propelled backwards by a death eater that I knew to be Rabastan Lestrange. His sister-in-law Bellatrix joined him and both Lily and Sirius raced to James' side. They began to duel.

Frank hoisted Remus to his feet. Alice began shooting curses at Voldemort.

_Not Alice too. I can't lose anyone else._

That thought spurred me into action. I joined Alice and began aiming curses at Voldemort. Every curse in my repertoire including the unforgiveables were used and several more that I hadn't used before.

And yet Voldemort still stood, calmly deflecting and retaliating.

Suddenly, I was struck by a beam of light.

I was floating. There was no pain. I was safe. No more worries.

"_Kill Remus Lupin", _a soft voice coaxed. _"Kill Remus Lupin and then join me. Together we can rule the world." _

The voice was persistent.

But Remus was my husband and I loved him. I had to hang on to that thought. My name is Amy Lupin. I won't kill Remus!

"I WON'T KILL REMUS!" I shrieked. I was back at Diagon Alley. I had been hit with the imperius curse. And I had beaten it!

Without any warning, the ground in front of me exploded. I was thrown through the air like a rag doll and hit the ground with a loud thud. My tail bone was definitely broken but that was the least of my problems.

My legs had been charred. I could see bone, flesh and muscle. All were burned. It was hot to touch and I gasped at the contrast between my cool fingers and hot skin.

Then the pain set in. I howled.

The world blurred around me. All I was aware of was the searing hot agony that consumed me.

A pair of arms that I would later learn were Remus' picked me up and disapparated.

The world faded away and the darkness took over. I welcomed it.

When I awoke a day later, I was in a rigid bed in the hospital wing at Hogwarts. The white sheets were tucked uncomfortably tight around me. I was like a caterpillar in a cocoon. My legs were hidden beneath a wad of bandage.

"Amy", Remus smiled. He had bags beneath his eyes and he looked as though he hadn't slept or eaten in a week. "Thanks be to Merlin."

"My legs" I squeaked.

"They'll be okay. You were lucky we got you here so quickly or you might have lost them. Madame Pomfrey was able to repair the damage. I actually have to leave the room when she changes the dressing!"

"That bad?" I sighed, looking at my legs again.

"Like you wouldn't believe. A bit like when a dog gnaws at a bone", he said truthfully. I turned green and he backtracked at once. "They're getting better though!"

"What happened to everyone else?" I asked, my stomach in my mouth as memories of the battle surfaced in my mind.

"I was fine apart from the cruciatus curse. James and Frank got away lightly, just a few cuts and bruises. Sirius was knocked out but James got him out of there in time. Marlene lost a lot of blood to her injuries but she's okay now. Peter wasn't there. You know about Gideon and Fabian." He paused and swallowed hard.

"They were great guys", I sobbed as tears sprang to my eyes. "How's Molly?"

"Alive. She's distraught but the kids keep her going. They give her something to carry on for." Remus said softly.

"Speaking of Molly, how are Lily and Alice? You didn't say." I said somewhat suspiciously.

"Not my news to tell", Remus said mysteriously.

Luckily I didn't have long to wait. They burst in five minutes later, both talking at a million miles an hour.

"Whoa, slow down" I laughed.

"We're pregnant!" Lily squealed.

"Four weeks gone!" Alice shrieked.

I was going to be a godmother.


	27. Of Propositions, Services and Betrayal

_**Thanks so muchfor the great reception of the last chapter! Please continue reviewing!**_

* * *

**Peter POV**

I was forgotten. I always knew that it would happen one day and finally it did. Not only did the Marauders and my 'friends' forget me but the Order of the Phoenix did too. Do you blame me for being depressed?

You see, on the day that death eaters flooded into Diagon Alley, I was in Wales reporting on a fire for the Daily Prophet. The Order managed to contact everyone but me. It wasn't as if they didn't know where I was, everyone in the Order must say where they will be at all times.

It wouldn't have taken long to fetch me. They just didn't care or even worse, they forgot about me.

They didn't need me. I had been kidding myself since first year. The realisation hit me so suddenly that it hurt more than a basketball to the nose.

But the real question was: did I need them?

If I had asked myself that question when I was in Hogwarts, I'd have said yes. Who goes through Hogwarts without friends? They needed me to freeze the Whomping Willow. Well, actually they didn't, they could levitate a stick instead.

I could have been replaced with a _stick._

No they never needed me.

But the Dark Lord did.

Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange did.

I wasn't useless to them. I could be helpful. I could be treasured. They would appreciate me.

And I wouldn't die because, let's face it, the light side were losing. More people were killed every day.

In that moment I made up my mind. I would find Malfoy (Bellatrix was scarier) and tell him that I wanted to take him up on his offer.

_What about the Marauders?_

Well what about them? They clearly didn't care about me. They didn't value me, didn't include me. Why should I have been the noble one? Besides, they deserved to be taken down a notch or too. It would do them some good. They might learn some long overdue lessons.

I grinned maliciously as I rooted out a quill and piece of parchment. Biting on my lip, I wrote in my slanted scrawl:

_ Mr Malfoy,_

_ I have considered the proposition that you and Mrs Lestrange offered to me. I have decided that I would like to accept your offer. I wish to give you my services._

_ If you are still interested, please floo to my house today before midnight. _

_ Yours Sincerely,_

_ Peter Pettigrew_

I scanned through it again. Yes, it would do. It was polite and to the point. I even used long words like 'proposition'. Remus would be proud of me.

I frowned. I shouldn't be looking for the approval of the Marauders anymore. That's what caused me to write the letter in the first place.

I tied the letter to my owl and watched as it became a small speck in the sky. Had I made the right choice?

I wasn't given long to change my mind because less than half an hour later, the fireplace glowed green. Lucius Malfoy stepped out, managing to remain dignified even when travelling by floo seemed to a gift that only purebloods possessed.

Malfoy was dressed in the finest of Slytherin green robes, the kind that normal wizards would only wear on special occasions. His platinum blonde hair was sleek and his pale eyes surveyed my living room without disguising his disgust.

"Pettigrew, you made the right choice", he commended lightly.

"Thank you Lucius", I said graciously, inclining my head slightly.

"But", he continued, his voice hardening slightly. "I need to ensure that you are sincere. Wouldn't want you turning spy on us for your little Order friends."

My breath caught in my throat as he produced a small vile from beneath his robes. He shook it slightly.

"I trust that you know what this contains", he said softly.

"Veritaserum", I breathed, trying to calm my racing heart.

"Very good Pettigrew. Now, drink this and answer my questions truthfully…not that you have any other choice", he smirked, handing me the vile. I took it in my trembling fingers and uncorked it. After a slight pause I gulped it down, praying that no inner conscience would betray me.

"Are you a member of the order of the phoenix?" Malfoy asked.

"Yes".

"Do you wish to become a spy for the Dark Lord?" Malfoy interrogated.

"Yes".

"Why?" Lucius questioned, his lips contorting into a smirk. He was positive my answer wouldn't be satisfactory.

"I'm fed up of being in the shadow. My friends don't appreciate me. They think that they're superior to me. I want revenge." I snarled. Malfoy blinked in surprise, he didn't know that I could be so deep.

"How can you be of use to the Dark Lord?" Malfoy asked.

"I'm a natural spy. I'm an animagus in the form of a rat. I am a good at lying. I can improvise on the spot. No one will suspect me because no one takes notice of me." I rambled, just as the Veritaserum wore off.

"Very well Pettigrew. I'm going to side-along apparate you to the Dark Lord. Speak only when spoken to. There's no going back now." Malfoy told me. Without warning, he gripped my arm and with a 'pop' we disapparated.

When the world stopped spinning, I found myself in a dark and narrow character illuminated only by a single lantern on the wall.

"This way, Pettigrew" Malfoy ushered. He led me through a maze of passages until we reached a large wooden door guarded by two hooded death eaters. They glanced passively at Malfoy and then studied me.

"Malfoy, the mark", one said in a cold masculine voice. Malfoy stared coldly at him and slowly rolled up his sleeve to reveal a black tattoo.

"Who's this?" The other asked curiously, now at ease after seeing Malfoy's mark.

"None of your business. Just open the door." Malfoy snapped, his impatience evident. The death eater glared at him before slowly opening the doors. Malfoy marched forward, dragging me with him without a second glance.

The door closed behind us.

The room we had entered was like a hall. The floor was made of white marble. There was no furniture other than a large regal chair and a statue of Salazaar Slytherin.

_He_ was sitting in the chair.

His skin was paler than ever, his eyes just as scarlet. His snake-like nostrils flared and his grip tightened on his wand.

I shivered involuntarily.

"My lord", Malfoy bowed graciously. "I present you with Peter Pettigrew." He elbowed me.

"I wish to become your spy in the Order of the Phoenix".


	28. Prongslet and Pregnancy

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The New Year brought no new developments. Molly Weasley was still mourning the loss of her two brothers. She had broken down at the funeral, cradling her swollen stomach. She was due in March and was thankful that she didn't lose the baby with her loss.

Poor Arthur had been left to try and rein in the children.

Bill, the eldest and Charlie, the second born had wailed all through the service. Percy sat in his father's lap, content to survey his surroundings. The twins Fred and George had thrown up all over their pram and I made the mistake of offering to help the frazzled red-haired Arthur. I ended up with vomit in my hair. I swear those twins had done it on purpose.

Lily and Alice were delighted with their news. Molly was a well of information regarding pregnancy and children seeing as she was pregnant with her sixth. All three women were thrilled that their children would be around the same age and would end up in the same year in Hogwarts.

James was beside himself with excitement. He was convinced that his baby would follow in his steps and become a Quidditch star. He took bets on which position. He declared that his child would be a chaser, betting his brand new broomstick on it. Sirius put his flying motorbike that 'Prongslet' would become a beater whereas I was convinced that the baby would become a seeker.

Lily only rolled her eyes in exasperation when she was informed on this before she turned green and ran to the bathroom to throw up.

"All right there Lils?" James called cheerfully.

"No I'm not! I'm starving and sick and fat and it's all because of you!" Lily roared in retaliation before another round of retching noises filled the air. James winced.

"It's the hormones", I stage-whispered. James nodded, wide-eyed, looking scared at the mention of the h-word.

"Let me go after her", I told him. He looked relieved.

"Thanks, Amy, I owe you big time".

I let myself into the bathroom. Lily was perched on the edge of the bath. Her eyes were bloodshot and her fiery hair was pulled back out of her face in a messy bun.

"I know it's not his fault." She stated. "But it's so damn hard. I hate being so sick and everyone is walking on eggshells around me. I wish everything was normal again."

"Lils, judging by the fact that you're pregnant, you're going to have to change your view on normal", I sad with a laugh. Without any warning, a wave of nausea washed over me and I threw up violently into the toilet. Lily wrinkled her nose in disgust and barely made it to the sink in time.

When Remus opened the door, he found us both throwing up our guts.

"Amy?" he said uncertainly, holding my hair out of the range of the vomit.

"Stomach bug", I muttered incoherently before I gagged again. He frowned suspiciously at me. His gaze flickered over to Lily and his eyes widened slightly.

"Em, Amy, you're not pregnant, are you?" He whispered quietly so that only I could hear. "I mean, you're throwing up and you had that awful headache the last few days. Not to mention that you rejected cookies yesterday for the first time ever-and you love cookies."

I was about to deny it but Remus' words had been true. He wasn't trying to accuse me of anything, Merlin knows, it takes two to make a baby! Besides, it was possible. And I was _late_…

"I hope I'm not", I sighed, wiping my mouth as the vomiting ceased.

"Lily, are you okay?" Remus asked. Lily nodded, vigorously brushing her teeth to rid her mouth of the sick taste. "Lils, in your training have you covered pregnancy tests?"

She spat her toothpaste into the sink and washed it down the drain.

"I have, it's immensely complicated but I can give it a go if you want me to", she said, clutching her stomach. "And she has to stop throwing up first".

It took twenty minutes of hugging the toilet seat before I could brush my teeth. Remus led me to the sofa and sat down beside me, his arm around my shoulders.

"Okay Lily, work your magic", I said, attempting to put on a brave face and smile. No one bought it.

"Right Amy, don't worry if you feel a funny tingling sensation, that's normal", Lily instructed. "I need you to relax. It will somehow feel like I'm intruding but if you don't stay calm it won't work."

"Okay", I said.

"Ready?"

"Yes" I lied.

"_Lorem ipsum dolor_", Lily chanted repeatedly. A strange purple mist emitted from her wand and encased me. Suddenly it felt as though thousands of tiny little spiders were running all over me. It was followed by a probing sensation. It was like something was in me that didn't belong there. I instinctively tensed up.

"Relax", Lily's voice said. It sounded far away.

And then as quickly as it started, the spiders vanished, and the probing stopped. My eyes flew open.

"Well", I asked impatiently. Remus grabbed my hand and judging by the strength of his grasp on it, he was as nervous as I was, if not more.

"You're pregnant!" Lily exclaimed, a huge smile threatening to split her face in two plastered across her face.

"Shit", I cursed, I exchanged a terrified glance with Remus who had gone ghostly pale. I lifted up my top to reveal my stomach. It hadn't changed. It was as flat as ever, no bump. I poked it.

"How?" I asked incredulously, like a two year old. Lily gave me a look.

"You know how", she smirked, glancing at Remus but I was in no mood for joking.

"How far is she?" Remus asked weakly.

"Six weeks. She'll be due in August." Lily told us. "What is wrong with you guys? You're supposed to be thrilled!"

"I didn't want to have a baby in the war." I replied, staring at my stomach which housed a new life.

"I can't. What if the baby's a werewolf?" Remus cried, guilt evident in his tones.

"Then it will still be the luckiest child in the world." Lily smiled, "because it has you two as its parents."


	29. The Power to Vanquish the Dark Lord

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It took weeks to come to terms with the fact that I was pregnant. Poor Remus still hadn't adjusted to it.

"Amy, I'm so sorry", he told me one night after I had puked my guts up.

"For what?" I frowned.

"You're pregnant with a werewolf's child. You'll be frowned upon", he said as though it were obvious.

"Well thanks!" I snapped. "No, I'm fed up of how self-conscious you are! I'm pregnant with the man whom I love's child. So what if he's a werewolf. I'm already an outcast for being a blood-traitor so screw them!"

He wasn't so self-pitying since.

By the time that I was four months along, the morning sickness that Remus had renamed all-day sickness had ceased. I was craving the weirdest of things. I had been eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans when I found a grape flavoured one that I liked. I then insisted that Remus buy boxes of them and taste every one of them to find me another the same. Remus had to eat 1,576 jelly beans and didn't complain once.

A small bump had formed over my abdomen and it was a struggle to tie the zip on my jeans, in the end I had to extend them with magic. It was that or suffocate.

My maternity leave at the ministry would start when I was six months pregnant. It was earlier than most occupations because of the danger involved. I would be given a pile of paperwork to do when I was at home.

I had already begun the paperwork. I lay across the sofa, reading through a case with my feet in Remus' lap when a phoenix patronus burst into the room.

"Amy and Remus, please come to my office immediately. Alone." Dumbledore's voice instructed. Remus was on his feet in a flash and grabbed my hand. He dragged me to the fireplace, tossed the powder in and diving into the emerald flames, pulling me with him.

Remus caught me just before I fell when we emerged in Hogwarts. I smiled my thanks but it was half-hearted. What the hell was so urgent that he wanted us there immediately? Especially seeing as magical transportation was discouraged for pregnant women. It was still early days so the risks were slim but I hated taking chances.

"Bertie Bott", Remus said impatiently to the sneering gargoyle. He dragged me up the spiral staircase and pushed the doors open. The Potters and the Longbottoms were seated at Dumbledore's desk. Each wore an expression of fear and apprehension that mirrored Remus' and mine.

"Lily? James? Alice? Frank?" I asked in astonishment. "What are you doing here?"

"We don't know yet, we were waiting for you to show up", James replied.

"Well now that you are all here, I shall begin", Dumbledore said. I jumped, not having known that he was in the room. "Amy, Remus, please take a seat."

"What's happening Professor?" I asked, my hands instinctively going to cradle my stomach as I lowered myself on to the seat.

"Why is it just us? What about the rest of the Order?" Alice asked sharply. She had the biggest bump out of the three of us. Five months pregnant and she already looked like a hippogriff.

"Is it something to do with our children?" Lily asked, ever the brainbox. Trust her to realise that everyone here was pregnant or a father-to-be.

"Yes, Lily, I'm afraid to tell you that it is." Dumbledore said softly, bowing his head. I stopped breathing and flashed a terrified look to Remus. "Or at least it could be."

"What do you mean it _could_ be? For Godric's sake, stop being so damn bloody cryptic! This isn't a game, we're talking about our children here. They're not even bloody born yet!" James bellowed, unable to keep a handle on his protective nature. Lily grabbed his hand and squeezed it softly. James calmed down and said weakly, "They haven't done anything. They haven't had the chance to."

"Albus can you please just tell us what's going on?" Frank asked in exasperation.

"As you know, our Divination professor has handed in her resignation. I went to interview a candidate at the Hog's Head when they made a prophecy." Dumbledore explained.

"A prophecy?" I repeated.

"A prophecy", Dumbledore confirmed. He took a deep breath and recited. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live whilst the other survives…the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies…"

A short silence followed the dark prediction. Everyone tried to process what it meant.

"I have summoned you here today because all three of you fulfil the requirements. You have all defied Lord Voldemort three times. It is possible that your child will be born at the end of July." Dumbledore stated.

"One of our children is destined to kill Voldemort?" James asked weakly.

"Yes, I'm afraid so, but only should Voldemort make it so." Dumbledore replied.

"What do you mean?" Frank enquired.

I tuned out as Dumbledore explained. My baby was going to be targeted and that was all that mattered. It had been inevitable. Voldemort wanted me for my wandless abilities. Remus and I were both in the Order. I just hadn't expected a price to be put on my child's head.

"The prophecy said he", I suddenly blurted out. "What is our children are girls?"

All eyes turned to me.

"Well…" Dumbledore said. "If you wish, I know of an old spell that will inform us as to the sex of your children."

"Can you do it?" Lily asked, her emerald eyes wide with fear. It would either prove our children safe or in danger.

"Yes".

"Then do it", Alice said. We nodded.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive", I said firmly.

Dumbledore performed the spell on Alice first.

"Boy", he said sympathetically. Frank hugged Alice as she trembled.

"Boy", he told Lily and James. Lily burst into tears and James did his best to comfort her, despite the own tears in his eyes.

"Girl", he smiled to Remus and I. But how could I celebrate when my two friends' children were to be targeted?

"Don't tell anyone it's a girl", I found myself saying. "It will be another target for the Death Eaters. Make them work harder."

"Are you mental?" Remus snapped.

"No. It could save their lives. We'll stay safe. No one say to anyone what gender their baby is." I instructed. They nodded in unison.

"There are over six billion people in this world. Less than a million are magical. Half of them are male. A fraction are unborn. We just have to hide the fact that we are pregnant. Tell people you miscarried or that it's a girl. Glamour your bump. Be careful. Let Voldemort search, he won't see what's right in front of him. We're ready." I said diplomatically, standing up for emphasis.

"You're right", Remus said, giving in.

"I always am", I smirked.


	30. Diagnoses and Decoys

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We discussed my idea in further detail. Now that Lily and I had 'miscarried' there was no way that we could have the babies in St. Mungo's for there were spies everywhere. Alice too was no longer safe, even if she was having a 'girl'. Madame Pomfrey could be trusted so we decided to visit her in the Hospital Wing. She would show us how to glamour our bumps.

We were just about to leave Dumbledore's office when a thought suddenly occurred to Lily.

"Professor, does Voldemort know about the prophecy?" She asked inquisitively. Dumbledore instantly stiffened, he clearly had been hoping that no one would ask that question. He seemed to debate with himself whether or not to divulge the information before he sighed in resignation.

"I later found out that someone had been eavesdropping on the conversation at the door", Dumbledore admitted. We gasped. If someone was listening in on private conversations they were hardly up to good.

"By who?" Frank asked. Dumbledore ignored him.

"If my sources are accurate-and I believe them to be-then this person heard approximately half of the prophecy." Professor Dumbledore continued.

"Only half?" Remus said in relief.

"Half is enough to give them the gist", I muttered.

"Who was it Professor?" Lily questioned.

Somehow I knew the answer just before he said it.

"Severus Snape."

"No", Lily denied softly, frantically looking around for someone to tell her otherwise. "It couldn't have been! Please tell me you're lying!"

"That BASTARD!" James roared, jumping to his feet. He let out a stream of obscenities, each worst than the last. "…sneaking, slimy little snake! I'll make him pay! Where is he? WHERE IS HE?"

James only saw sense when Lily burst into tears. Clearly she still cared for her ex-friend who had chosen the dark arts over her. After all, he was her friend long before she had met us. She had trusted him and I actually believe that he cared for her. But he made his decision had she made hers. Their friendship was in the past.

There was no doubt in any of our minds who Snape would go running to with that information. Not even in Lily's.

Snape was gone to the Dark side.

We should have killed him whilst we had the chance, because now he was the worst out of the lot of them.

"I must request of you not to go looking for Severus Snape", Dumbledore said, his voice firm, pausing our fantasies of different ways to kill Snape.

"Sir, Voldemort wouldn't even know about the prophecy if it weren't for him!" James exclaimed and for once Lily agreed with him.

"I know James. Snape has committed terrible crimes but you will find that he will endure the consequences", Dumbledore said vaguely. James seemed unsure but nodded anyway.

"We'd best make our way to Madame Pomfrey. She is awaiting our arrival and you all know how much she values punctuality." Dumbledore said.

"Sir, what if students see us? No doubt some of them have joined Voldemort." Frank said sadly.

"They are in class at the moment. We shall proceed with caution." Dumbledore said after a moment's consideration.

We spent an hour with Madame Pomfrey. She congratulated each of us on our pregnancies and performed quick examinations on us. Thankfully, we were each healthy and the babies' progress was normal. She then taught us how to glamour our bumps.

Although I trusted Madame Pomfrey and knew that she would not betray us, she took an unbreakable vow to protect our secret. It seemed unnecessary but I could see Dumbledore's point. It was hard to know who to trust.

When we got home I once again stumbled through the fireplace. Remus avoided eye contact with me. His body stiffened when I leaned on him for support and his voice was distant.

"You're angry because I want us to be a decoy." I stated. It wasn't a question. By the way his eyes flickered to me momentarily I knew I had hit the nail on the head.

"You want to risk our lives and our baby's life when it isn't necessary", Remus said hoarsely. He finally met my desperate gaze and I was startled to see tears in his chocolate eyes. "You don't understand Amy, I can't lose you. I love you and I love our baby. We are already in danger but this would make us targets. It's a chance that we don't have to take!"

"Remus, I know. I understand, really I do. But James, Lily, Frank and Alice _are_ in danger. They don't have the peace of mind that their child isn't the chosen one like we do. If it comes to it, we can hide. Dumbledore can perform the Fidelius charm and I trust our friends to keep our secret. For now it's about reducing the chance that our friends will be targeted." I said passionately, my voice breaking towards the end.

Remus saw that I was upset and embraced me, kissing me softly on the lips and pulling me towards him. He put one hand on my bump.

"It's a girl", he said, his voice full of awe.

"Have you thought of any names?" I asked him with a small smile on my lips.

"Actually I have."

"Let's hear them then", I grinned, plopping down n to the loveseat.

"Well, I like Abigail. It means 'father's joy'." Remus began.

"Nope, this baby is going to be a mummy's girl", I interrupted. He rolled his eyes.

"Okay, well there's also Daniella which mean's miracle."

"I like the meaning and all", I said, "but Daniella is such a mouthful".

"How about Nadia?" He asked. I paused. It was a beautiful name.

"What does it mean?" I asked curiously.

"Hope."

"Hold on, I like that name too but one at a time. What does Nadia mean?"

"Nadia means hope", Remus repeated.

"Remus, they go well together. Nadia Hope. Nadia Hope Lupin. I really like it. It's perfect! We all need hope in these dark times and her name is a double dose of it." I smiled.

"Nadia Hope it is", Remus smiled, joining me on the loveseat. He slung an arm around my shoulders and I curled into him.

"Hear that, you've got yourself a name!" I whispered to my stomach.

That's when she kicked for the first time. It was the strangest sensation, a bit like popcorn popping in my belly. I felt for the first time that there was actually a little person inside me. I must have reacted because Remus looked at me strangely.

"You okay?" He asked concernedly.

I didn't reply, but guided his palm to the source of the kicking. When he felt it, a huge smile formed on his face.

It were the moments like those that I loved.


	31. Of Crayons, Chalk and Ice-Cream

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* * *

I can tell you first hand that pregnancy is hard work.

I peed all of the time due to the fact that Nadia loved to sleep on my bladder. I was fat with a belly so big and round that I could barely see my toes. I ate a lot-enough for two people which technically I was doing.

Not to mention my severe lack of sleep. It wasn't easy to get some kip when there's a little person swimming inside your belly. Most nights I ended up in the strangest of positions that under any other circumstances would have been uncomfortable.

Poor Remus was a star. Some days I was a raging hormonal monster. I honestly didn't know what came over me. Remus would only have to drop a plate or have the radio on a notch too loud or…fart. Yes, I admit to giving him a lecture on flatulence. Poor guy. He never said a word when I was angry, just waited until I was finished ranting. He could write a book explaining to men what to do when their wife is pregnant. It would be a bestseller.

Lily and Alice were the same though so it wasn't just me. All pregnant women were like being faced with a nundu or a manticore.

Lily and James had decided to name their baby Harry. Harry James Potter. It had a nice ring to it. Frank and Alice had settled on Neville. Just Neville. Neville Longbottom. It had taken them months to find a name that Augusta approved of.

One of the complications was work. I couldn't very well take Maternity leave when I wasn't supposed to be pregnant. Dumbledore asked me to become the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher in March when the old teacher had suffered from an anxiety attack in the presence of a boggart. I had no problem taking a years leave from Auror training once Dumbledore had spoken to Moody.

It was the perfect cover. I was known to be friendly with Dumbledore and he had been in need of a Defence teacher. I was an Auror. It made sense. Besides, it was easier to hide the use of a glamour charm from students than ministry officials whose real job was to run to Voldemort with any information.

Another advantage to my new job was that Madame Pomfrey was near to me at all times. If I ever had a problem, query or even needed a patient ear that I could rant at (other than Remus), she was more than willing to help. That woman was worth her weight in unicorn blood.

Thankfully teaching came naturally to me. The kids seemed to enjoy the classes. Only the Slytherins posed some problems but I was an Auror, I was well able to deal with them. Remus helped me to organise my lesson plans and ensured that the courses would be covered. He would make an excellent teacher and I knew that he longed to be in my position.

I still went home every evening after classes. The students didn't know that. I wanted to be home with Remus. We hardly had any time together between with work (both legal and undercover) taking up all of our time. I spent most Sundays at home seeing as there weren't any classes. Lily and Alice usually came over to spend the day together.

It was one of these Sundays when it happened. We had arranged to meet at my house before flooing to Hogwarts for a check-up with Madame Pomfrey.

"You know what I've been craving recently?" Lily asked. We shook or heads inquisitively.

"Crayons", Lily said. "I crush them up and eat them. James finds it hilarious."

"Lils, that is disgusting even by pregnancy standards!" I exclaimed.

"Not really", Alice disagreed, "I've been munching on chalk for the past fortnight. What weird and wonderful things do you eat Amy?"

"Ice cream! I can't get enough of it!" Without warning, my stomach let out a rumble. I heaved myself up off the armchair and made my way to the freezer as quickly as my swollen stomach would allow. I came back with a two litre tub of chocolate chip ice-cream and three spoons.

"Remus is going to be mad. That's the eighth tub I've gone through in the past two days. He has a path worn in the shop." I commented drily. Lily and Alice chuckled and scooped out chunks of the chocolate stuff that belonged in heaven.

"C'mon, eat up. Madame Pomfrey will be furious if we're late." Lily prompted, shovelling lumps of chocolate ice-cream into her mouth at an alarming rate.

We were so ignorant. But he fooled us all. He was the underdog, the under_rat. _

**Peter POV:**

Malfoy dragged me by the arm through the corridors. I wrenched my arm indignantly from his grip. Malfoy whipped around and glared at me.

"What do you think you're doing half-blood?" He sneered maliciously.

"It is me who has information for the dark lord, not you. I can walk by myself." I retorted, but my courage wavered under Malfoy's intense grey gaze.

"Very well Pettigrew. But be warned: today may be your day but tomorrow… well there just might not be a tomorrow. For some people anyway." Malfoy threatened in his annoying aristocratic manner. I hadn't time to dwell on his gloom prediction before Malfoy opened the mahogany doors to the Dark Lord's chambers.

The Dark Lord surveyed me without interest as I bowed to his feet.

"What iss it Wormtail?" He hissed.

"My Lord, I have information", I said quickly. "I can lead you to Longbottom, Potter and Lupin."

He leaned forward, suddenly hanging off my every word. I barely concealed my pride at being valued so highly.

"Do tell Wormtail", the Dark Lord prompted.

"They shall be in Hogwarts this afternoon at two o'clock. I believe that they will be accompanied by their husbands and possibly Black."

"It's the perfect opportunity to eliminate the problems before they are even born." Voldemort stated.

I was struck by a sudden bout of guilt that was quelled almost as soon as it arrived.

The Marauders were about to get what they deserved.


	32. Of Appointments, Beds and Betrayals

_Thanks for all reviews! Just out of curiosity, what way would you guys like this story to end? Anyway, please review!_

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Supported by Remus so that I wouldn't fall, I emerged from the fireplace into Minerva McGonagall's office in Hogwarts.

"It's great to see you all", our former head of house greeted warmly. Abandoning all professional pretence she hugged us. Minerva always had a soft spot for the Marauders that gave her so much trouble. Top of the class likeable troublemakers, that's what we had been.

Minerva had been on the very short list of people who knew the truth about our pregnancies. She along with Dumbledore, Sirius, Peter and Marlene were in on the secret. We trusted each of them with our lives. We were positive none of them would spill the beans.

How wrong we were. We didn't know how vital -how _fatal_- that mistake would prove to be. We would regret it for the rest of our…existence.

"How are you feeling dear?" The mother of the lions asked me warmly. I pulled a so-so face.

"Not too bad but I've been better", I answered honestly.

"Only three months left to go", Remus said brightly.

"I can't wait to meet her", I exclaimed.

"I hope she'll be a Gryffindor. Like her parents." Minerva prayed.

"And her Godparents!" Lily said from behind me.

"She'll take after her Godfather, I can feel it!" James added.

"Well Merlin forbid she end up with your humble nature", I said sarcastically.

"I have nothing to be humble about", James said arrogantly. "Do I Lils?"

"Keep me out of this!" Lily laughed. "Amy and Sirius are going to be Harry's Godparents."

"And Marlene and Remus are to be Neville's", Frank said, announcing their arrival as he helped a seven month pregnant Alice through the door. They had removed the glamour charms for the visit. It revealed a swollen stomach hindered any movement. Her bump was extraordinarily large and round. Madame Pomfrey said that Neville was a big boy. Sirius said that she was carrying a monster. Sirius was hit simultaneously by no less than three people.

It was quite crowded in the Hospital Wing with us all gathered there. Marlene had been unable to take the time off work. We advised her not to come anyway – we didn't want to look overly suspicious.

I lay down on one of the stiff narrow hospital beds. They weren't built for comfort, that was for sure. The metal groaned under my weight which I took personal offence to; I wasn't that heavy, was I? I smacked the metal bed frame and shot it a glare.

Madame Pomfrey scurried towards me after dealing with Lily and Alice. She had paper and a quill in her hand and as she waved her wand over me, the quill scribbled away furiously at the parchment. Madame Pomfrey read over the notes and seemed satisfied with the results.

"Everything is normal. You have a perfectly healthy baby girl just waiting to be born. How are you feeling yourself? Anything strange that you would like to report?" She asked in her business-like manner.

"Nope, I can't think of anything strange. She's been kicking like mad and doesn't like letting me sleep but other than that I can't really complain." I smiled fondly, automatically resting my hand on my stomach.

"That's brilliant then. You have a healthy baby. You must be excited by now", Madame Pomfrey smiled. "You too Mr Lupin, are you ready for fatherhood?"

"Oh, I don't know", Remus coughed nervously. I gave him a dig in the ribs.

"Of course you are! You're going to make an excellent father."

"Thanks Amy, and you are going to be an amazing mum", Remus said softly. I pulled him down for a kiss and this time it was Madame Pomfrey who was coughing with embarrassment.

Suddenly Benjy Fenwick burst into the room, his blue eyes wide. We all jumped to our feet. Benjy was one of two Aurors assigned to Hogwarts. Seeing as he was also an Order member, he was to be trusted.

"Death Eaters!" He roared, surprised at seeing so many Order members in the room. We hurried to glamour our stomachs.

"Where?" Sirius barked, spurring us all into action.

"How many?" James bellowed. Lily had grabbed his hand so tightly that her knuckles had turned white.

"At least twelve. Floo network has been disconnected. Coming in from secret passageways." Benjy reported quickly and professionally.

Dumbledore appeared seemingly out of nowhere.

"Benjy, I need you, Horace and Pomona to lead the students to safety. Ensure that every student is accounted for. You know the procedure." Dumbledore instructed. Benjy was out of the room before he had uttered the final syllable.

"Albus, what do we do?" Alice asked.

"My first priority is the three of you. It's no coincidence that they have infiltrated us today. They know that you are here. We have been betrayed." Dumbledore said solemnly. The words sank in. We only told our friends. They were people that we trusted our lives with. Surely there was another way.

"Filius, Minerva and I must protect the castle." Dumbledore said. "Remus, please search the grounds now. Stay in the shadows, do not be seen. I need to know exactly who is out there. Report back to me via Patronus if Voldemort himself is out there."

"Sir", I pleaded.

"I need co-operation. Remus knows the grounds better than any of us and he will be quick and silent."

"I love you Amy, keep safe", Remus whispered into my ear as he embraced me tightly. I pressed my lips to his. It felt as though someone had ripped my heart out when he was torn from m grip.

"I love you too Remus", I muttered.

"James, take Lily and hide. Make your way to Hogsmeade if you can and call for re-enforcements." Dumbledore continued. "Frank, do the same with Alice. Peter, you take Amy. Keep them safe whatever you do. Do not get caught. Don't engage in combat if you can avoid it."

"Sir, I think I should go with Amy", Sirius interrupted.

"Mr Black, I require your skills here. You will be more useful here." Dumbledore said, shaking his head.

"Lily, Alice, I love you guys", I said emotionally. Lily and Alice had tears in their eyes.

"Good luck!" Lily sobbed, embracing me tightly.

"Amy, don't you dare get caught", James ordered solemnly before hugging me and kissing the top of my head.

"I don't like this. I can protect you better" Sirius said worriedly. I kissed his cheek.

"Hopefully I won't need protecting", I said softly.

"Well what are you waiting for? Go!" Dumbledore bellowed, sounding momentarily like Mad-Eye.

I cast a disillusionment charm over myself and Peter. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lily and Alice doing the same. They disappeared from sight and I felt a lump in my throat. The serious nature of the situation began to sink in. We could die.

"Come on Amy", Peter prompted, grabbing my hand and dragging me down a flight of stairs.

"I'm going as fast as I can!" I wheezed back quietly. "It's not easy! I'm bloody six months pregnant!"

He led me through the courtyard and out the back. We were heading for the Whomping Willow.

"Hang on a moment", he said, searching for a stick. Eventually he found one and was in the process of levitating it to freeze he monstrous tree when I heard the first shouts. The sound of combat filled the air and a feeling of dread washed over me.

_ Please let them be okay._

"We'll go to Hogsmeade through the Shrieking Shack", Peter explained unnecessarily. I nodded in agreement but for some reason, I couldn't help but look behind me as I entered the passage way, feeling an inexplicable bout of uncertainty.


	33. Two Wolves with One Stone

_Please review!_

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I followed Peter down the winded path to the Shrieking Shack. One thought burned in my mind.

_Who had betrayed us?_

One thing was for sure, Remus had not betrayed us. I loved him more than I loved life itself and he was not a deceitful person by nature. No way was he guilty.

Lily and James had to be innocent too. Lily was pregnant with a baby boy who could be destined to kill Voldemort and James loved Lily and his unborn Quidditch Star with reverence. He would protect them to no end. He was clearly not the spy.

I knew that it couldn't be Frank or Alice either. Their morals were so imbedded in them that I knew they would prefer to be crucio'd to insanity before they would betray the cause. What about Sirius? Sirius had lived his life striving to reject his family and their twisted beliefs, surely he wouldn't turn dark now? No, Sirius was my brother in all but blood. There was no faking the fear in his eyes when he offered to protect me in Peter's stead. He wouldn't betray us. I was sure of it.

Dumbledore. No, I wouldn't even contemplate it. It wasn't even a possibility. He was the pillar of light. He founded the Order of the Phoenix. He was the one leading the battle for peace in magical Britain.

Minerva McGonagall. She was like a second mother to me. To us. She was Dumbledore's old friend. She couldn't possibly hurt her lions.

We were almost at the Shrieking Shack.

It hit me. It felt as though I was physically punched in the gut. It made so much sense. How had we not seen it before?

For he was the one tagging along. He wasn't as talented as the rest of us. After years of being second best, would he refuse the chance to be the favourite? He was a bloody rat for crying out loud!

Peter was the spy.

My heart racing, I spun around to face him.

"Peter!" I exclaimed, backing away from him. "It's you!"

"Yes Amy?" He said, as though concerned for my mental health. But I knew better. I saw how his eyes had widened slightly.

"It's you", I repeated sadly. "You betrayed us. You're the spy!"

Peter's face turned from that of false terror to anger. I realised too late that I was trapped in the Shrieking Shack.

"Well done Amy. You know, I really liked you but you never saw it. It's too late now and you're all going to pay for how you treated me", he said viciously, his blue eyes bulging. I had never seen this side to the mousy boy before.

"Peter it's not too late. You're our friend", I pleaded.

"That's where you're wrong Ms Lupin", a high, cold voice said cruelly.

I turned around. Voldemort was there. His pale skin almost glowed in the darkness of the Shack.

_Merlin, Remus, I love you._

**Remus POV:**

After searching most of the school manually, I finally nicked the Marauder's Map from Filch's office. I spotted some familiar names such as Bellatrix and Malfoy but thankfully Lily, James, Frank and Alice's names weren't on the map. I took that to mean that they had gotten to safety. I prayed that I was right.

I was just about to report back to Albus when their names caught my eye.

_Amy Lupin_

_ Peter Pettigrew_

_ Tom Riddle_

Tom Riddle. Voldemort.

And according to the map, Amy and Peter were heading straight for him. I dropped the map as though burned. Amy and Peter were in the same room as Voldemort. They were alone. Breaking into a sprint, I waved my wand casting my silvery wolf patronus.

"Albus, Minerva, Sirius, Shrieking Shack now. Amy, Peter and Voldemort. Help!" I cried. It ran into the distance leaving me alone again.

I ran as though I had never ran before. I raced through the grounds, thankfully avoiding all death eaters. Amy's face burned in my mind. I prayed that I wasn't too late.

I didn't even bother freezing the Whomping Willow. I leaped over three offensive branches and dived into the hole. Flushed and red in the face from exertion, I forced myself to continue sprinting. My limbs screamed in protest but I had to get there in time.

My feet pounded against the sandy floor. My breath came in short gasps. The sound of my laboured breathing was all I heard. Each step took me closer to her. Closer to him.

Only my love for Amy made me press on ahead into what was almost certain death.

As I got closer, I could hear her.

She was still alive!

"Stupefy!" She yelled.

Her voice gave me an extra burst of energy. I bounded forward, bursting into the Shrieking Shack. My relief triumphed over fear and I brandished my wand, squaring off against Voldemort.

"Remus!" Amy exclaimed, hope evident in her voice. She was in bad shape. She was losing copious amounts of blood to a deep cutting curse that had slashed down her thigh. Her face was ghostly pale. Peter was slumped in the corner and I could tell that he had been stupefied.

"How lovely", Voldemort cooed mockingly. "Two _wolves_ with one stone."

"Sectumsempra!" I shouted.

"Crucio!" Voldemort roared. I dived out of the way of the shining red light but Amy's movement was hindered by her injury and the curse struck her on the chest. She fell to the ground, spasming in pain. She bit on her lip in determination not to scream but she let out several involuntary squeals. Her eyes betrayed her agony. It was like I was under the curse with her because seeing her like that hurt more than anything else.

A cold fury swept through me. It was unlike any other anger that I had ever felt. It was directed at Voldemort and for once I felt like the monster that I was.

"Avada Kedavra!" I barked, my wand steady as it directed the fata curse at Voldemort. He side-stepped the light but the distraction had stopped the cruciatus curse. Amy had gone limp but she was still conscious.

_Come on Amy, get to your feet._

As though she heard my prayers, she struggled to her feet, swaying unsteadily. Her face was paler than ever and she cradled her stomach. The glamour had been removed.

"Stupefy!" I shouted again.

The battle began to intensify and I found myself using more dark magic than I was comfortable with. Amy was shooting just as many spells as I was but hers lacked some power and her reflexes left a lot to be desired after the cruciatus curse. We both took some hits but so did Voldemort.

The worst curse that hit me was a bone shattering hex. It obliterated my wand arm. My arm flopped as I screamed in pain. My wand hit the ground and rolled away. I yelped as I stood defenceless against Voldemort.

I should have known.

As I scrambled to get my wand, Voldemort hissed the words. The hair stood up on the back of my neck.

"Avada Kedavra!"

With my injured arm, there was no way that I could dodge the assault. Amy was screaming my name. I forced myself to look at Voldemort, into those empty black eyes that were tinged red.

Suddenly, she was in front of me. It was impossible, she couldn't have possibly gotten there in time. Her eyes were outstretched in front of me.

She muttered my name.

"Remus."

It said it all. Her voice was tender and loving.

She shot a curse back. It was golden in colour and pulsed lightly. It absorbed some of Voldemort's attack but was soon engulfed.

The bright green flash of light struck her directly over her heart. It illuminated the entire room in an eerily beautiful fashion. The windows exploded in a smash of glass, showering me and cutting me in numerous places.

It was my screaming that filled the Shack now.

Nothing else mattered.

I scarcely even noticed the Order bursting into the room.

She fell into my arms. Her amber eyes were still open. They stared emptily at me, not seeing anything. They lacked the twinkle that was so familiar to me. Still warm tears dotted her long inky eyelashes.

I cradled her to my chest.

Howls of loss ripped through my throat.

At some point, Sirius joined my side. I was vaguely aware of him adamantly denying it despite the tears streaming down his face.

I kissed her cheeks, her forehead, her nose. I kissed each eyelid as I ever so carefully closed them over. I held her closer, wishing more than anything that I was in her position and she was alive.

Wishing more than anything that we were together.

I was haunted by her death in my waking hours and then tortured in my fitful sleep. Any hope of happiness or a future died alongside her and Nadia.

And that was only the beginning.


	34. The Waiting Room

_Don't worry, it's not over yet! Total of forty chapters. I hope you weren't too disappointed. Please review!_

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The light struck me.

There was the strangest sensation of falling. Falling at top speed. As though I had jumped off a building.

The without warning it stopped. I hit the ground with minimal impact. My surroundings were familiar but they weren't what brought the tears to my eyes. They weren't responsible for the lump in my throat.

I was standing before my childhood home.

I was standing before my father.

"Dad?" I choked, tears blurring my vision.

"It's me Little Wolf", he said, his voice breaking with emotion. I ran forward and flew into his embrace. He picked me up and whirled me around. I inhaled his scent of cinnamon that I had missed more than I realised. "I am so proud of you."

He looked just as I remembered him. His amber eyes that were identical to mine still held signs of happiness. His black hair was flecked with a little more silver and his face bore new signs of age but he was still my dad.

However, my father had passed away when I was twelve. How was this even possible?

The answer came to me when I looked into his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Little Wolf", he said softly.

"I'm dead?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm sorry", my dad repeated, offering me a sad smile. I didn't return it.

"Oh Merlin", I sobbed. "Remus, he's alone. He's going to feel so guilty for this. It's going to kill him."

"I always knew that you fancied that boy", my dad interrupted. "He confessed that he liked you in the hospital. He told me that he'd take care of you and he fulfilled that promise to the best of his capability. He was there for you that night, he was with you. You could have been alone. But you weren't and that will offer him some comfort in the years to come."

"Dad, I'm going to miss them all so much", I cried, tears flowing freely down my cheeks. "Mum, Lily, James, Sirius, Alice, Frank, Marlene, they are all amazing people."

"You were lucky to have such good friends", my dad agreed but then his expression darkened. "Except for that rat Peter."

"They don't know", I moaned. "I didn't get a chance to tell them. He'll pretend that Voldemort knocked him out. The bloody spy was right under our noses all of that time."

"They'll figure it out", my dad comforted. "Thank Merlin the Order got there in time to save Remus."

"I hope they figure it out soon." A sudden thought occurred to me. "Dad, what about Nadia?" I glanced at my rounded stomach. "Am I still pregnant? What happens to us now?"

"My guess is that you're still pregnant", my dad said, his eyes flickering to my stomach. "I've been here all of this time. People come and go, I guess you could call it the waiting room."

"The waiting room for what?" I asked.

"Beyond. I don't know what happens next. When you feel the pull, you'll know that it's time to go", my dad explained.

"She never got over it you know", I said quietly. I felt his gaze on me. "Mum, I mean. She was never the same after…after you died. She still love you."

"So will he, Little Wolf. He won't forget you if that's what you're afraid of. He loves you far too much for that."

"I want him to be happy. Even if that means another woman. It'll be hard to bear but he can't live his life by himself", I admitted.

"He won't be alone, don't worry Little Wolf. You have good friends." My dad said, echoing his earlier words.

"Faolan's dead. Moony's alone. Prongs will have to go into hiding. Padfoot will fight, he won't rest until he does. Wormtail's the traitor. We thought that we were ready for the real world. We thought that we could do anything. But look at us. We're divided before we even reached our 21st birthdays." I said sadly, fresh tears welling in my eyes.

"But your love for one another will remain there", my dad said wisely. "Even for the rat. You all have a bond, a bond so strong that not even death can sever it. That's why you're here and not beyond. You're waiting for them Amy and yes, they will miss you so much that it hurts but you'll be with them every minute of every day. Always."


	35. Prongs Falls Padfoot Howls Wormtail Wins

_Epilogue number one! So sorry to disappoint you but Amy is indeed dead these scenes are from the imagination of JK Rowling and belong entirely to her. I am bowled over by the reviews, thank you so much!_

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_Halloween Night 1981_

**Sirius POV:**

I knew that something was wrong the minute I set foot in Peter's empty house. He didn't meet me at the agreed time earlier that day. He wasn't at home.

Something was definitely wrong.

So that was why I was thundering along in the sky above the English countryside on my black metal death-trap of a motorbike. My heart pounded and my hands that were white from gripping the handlebars were slick with sweat.

The truth was that I was terrified.

More than likely, I wouldn't see anything. I wasn't Secret Keeper, so if I saw nothing than it was all normal. The way things should be.

But there was a chance that I would walk into my worst nightmare.

I couldn't take any more losses. Amy was the first, on that evening in the Shrieking Shack. Less than a year later, Marlene and her family fell to Voldemort's forces. We had been dating for years and I had bought an engagement ring. I had been waiting for the right time. I left it too late.

And now she was gone.

Tears welled in my eyes and were whipped from my face by the ferocious wind. My motorbike swayed slightly as I forced it to descend over the bustling village of Godric's Hollow.

_Please let them be okay. Harry's only a baby._

My worst fears were confirmed when I neared their home.

Thick black smoke ascended from their house but that wasn't what choked me.

The windows were smashed, glass littering their small garden but that wasn't what pierced my heart.

I stumbled from my motorbike, feeling as though I was dreaming. The scene before me belonged in the worst of nightmares.

I picked my way through the rubble. Half of their house had been demolished.

_ Please, be okay. Please, be alive. _

"PRONGS? LILS? HARRY?" I bellowed, sounding like a wounded animal as my voice caught on my godson's name.

No one replied. Fear consumed me. The silence was deafening. Through my daze, I found myself in wha remained of their hallway. That's when I saw him.

"PRONGS!" I screamed. I screamed until my vocal chords threatened to rip in two. My legs finally gave way and I collapsed in a shaking, sobbing heap. I crawled my way towards him. Towards my brother.

I gathered him in my arms as I roared with agony. An expression of determination coupled with fear remained etched into his features. His body was stiff, his hazel eyes unseeing. His hand was in his pocket, as though he was searching for a wand that wasn't there.

"Prongs, you gotta wake up. Prongs, don't leave me. Please don't leave me!" I cried, frantically feeling his wrist for a pulse. I found none.

"Prongs, I am so sorry. This is all my fault."

I forced myself to gently close his eyelids over. Slowly, I got to my feet.

"I'll be back Prongs. I won't leave you. It'll be okay. I'm going to f-find L-Lils and H-Harry." I said in a broken voice. I felt obliged to put them together. They belonged together. It would all be okay if I put them side by side.

It positively killed me to leave him.

Blinded by tears, I ascended the unstable stairs. Somehow I knew where they would be. James had protected them. Bought them some time. She would be in the nursery. With Harry.

I trembled as I entered. Nothing could have prepared me for seeing Lily-my sister-lifeless on the ground.

"Lily", I moaned. "LILY!"

I cradled her gently in my arms, rocking her just as she did with Harry. I stroked her dark red hair that was fanned out behind her. I tried to ignore the terror and grief on her face. I saw the true fear in her emerald eyes that had had Prongs enchanted from day one. Her soft skin was still damp with salty tears that she had shed moments before she left this world.

"It's okay Lily", I sobbed, trying to reassure myself. "I'll bring you to him."

As a fresh wave of misery unfolded, I heard a sound. I hoped Voldemort was back.

"KILL ME TOO YOU BASTARD!" I screamed, sounding more like a Black than ever before. I sounded insane.

There was no reply.

Then I heard it again. I recognised that sound. It brought fresh tears to my eyes and filled me with hope.

"Harry?" I whispered uncertainly. I reluctantly clambered to my feet. Seeing Lily and James was hard, but I wouldn't be able to stand seeing my innocent little Godson so lifeless.

I edged towards the cot. Breathing heavily, I peered in.

"HARRY!"

He was there. He was alive. I could see him breathing. I saw the steady rise and fall of his little chest.

I grabbed him with evident desperation. I clutched him tightly to me, promising that everything would be okay. He stared at me with wisdom in his emerald eyes that were painfully identical to Lily's. Then I saw a trickle of blood on his forehead. I gently pushed his messy black fringe aside and gasped as I spotted the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead.

"How did you survive Harry?" I murmured to him.

"Paddy", he gurgled, grabbing a strand of my hair in his chubby little fingers.

"Yes Harry, Uncle Padfoot is here. It'll be okay now. You're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you", I swore solemnly, tears dropping from my face on to his precious little head.

I picked up Lily tenderly in my arms, adjusting her limp form so that I still had a safe grip on Harry. I wasn't going to leave him there by himself.

I treaded down the stairs and placed her alongside James. I intertwined their hands, lacing their fingers together just like the once casual action that had been so familiar to them. Now it was a formality. They looked so peaceful, so in love.

Holding Harry tightly, I howled into the darkness.

Soon Harry began to cough as the smoke thickened. I extinguished the flames. As I was doing so, I saw the photo. Amy waved cheerfully at me, her arms linked with Remus' and Lily's. Remus bent down and kissed her cheek, looking at her with a tender expression of pure love. James grinned at me as Lily ran a hand through his already messy mop of hair. I slapped him on the head playfully. Beside me was Peter. He was staring at us with a look of admiration but I now saw something darker…jealousy.

It wasn't all my fault. It was Peter's.

He was the spy. Under our noses all this time. I knew that I should have gone with Amy in his stead that night. It was his fault that Amy, Lily, James and probably Marlene too were dead.

He was going to pay.

"Sirius?" A voice called. "What 're yeh doin' 'ere?"

Hagrid came into view.

"They're dead, Hagrid", I said cruelly, surprised at how lifeless my voice sounded.

"I know", Hagrid cried, blowing his nose on a tablecloth sized handkerchief. "Dumbledore sent me fer baby Harry."

"Hagrid, I have something to do." I said, my voice full of steely determination. "Please tell Albus that it is not how it seems. Please look after Harry. You can tell him that I'll be back for my Godson when the time is right."

I looked at Harry, tears in my eyes. I placed a kiss on his forehead. I silently wished him luck.

"I'll be back for you Harry."

"Hagrid, take my motorbike. I won't need it anymore", I instructed to the half-giant, carefully handing him Harry.

"Thanks Sirius", Hagrid said appreciatively, giving me a hug that almost crushed my ribs.

I watched them as they sped off into the night, having no idea that it would be over a decade before I would see him again. Having no idea that it was my last night as a live free man. Having no idea that my plan would backfire spectacularly. Having no idea that I would be outsmarted by the underestimated marauder…again.


	36. A Mother's Words of Wisdom

_Enjoy and please review!_

* * *

_June 1993_

**Remus POV:**

It was impossible and yet it had to be true.

Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban.

It had been an eventful Summer for me, to say the least. After years of working in the library, it was closed down due to lack of funds. It hadn't been much but it had been a secure job and a regular income. It had been the only thing that made me get out of bed in the morning. It had been the only constant in my life of isolation and loneliness.

But then it was gone. Just like everything-and everyone-else I ever cared for. It must have been me. I must have been a magnet for bad luck. A magnet for misery.

I lost Amy and with her I lost Nadia. I lost my love, my soulmate, my friend, and ultimately; I lost my future. Truthfully, I died with them that evening. To go home to our empty house, full of her perfume, her clothes, her beloved broomstick, it broke my heart. Packing away the items we had bought for Nadia's arrival was the hardest. It felt as though I was packaging up my future and tossing it in the bin.

Then Marlene was killed. Death Eaters swarmed her house and brutally murdered Marlene, her brother and her parents. Marlene had been relatively unmarked, it seemed as though it was a killing curse that finished her off. Her brother hadn't been so lucky, the entire room was littered with pools of his blood and scraps of skin and bone. He had been blown to pieces.

I reckon that her death was what drove Sirius to the dark side. Merlin knows, I contemplated many dark things in the months following Amy's death. Losing a loved one was enough to drive anyone to the brink of insanity.

Sirius finally emerged as the spy when he betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort. James had died trying to protect his wife and son, despite how he had left his wand behind. He revealed that he was a true Gryffindor in life and in death. Lily had made the selfless sacrifice for her son. Her love protected Harry and caused the killing curse to rebound upon Voldemort, banishing him.

Harry was an orphan at the age of one. Dumbledore entrusted him to the care of Lily's sister, husband and son. I decided early on not to intrude. I was useless to him. I was an outcast in the magical world. I had no money to treat him. Besides, the Dursleys were more suited to looking after him, their son was the same age as Harry. He didn't need me.

As if that wasn't enough, Sirius had taken his wand to Peter only a day after James and Lily had been murdered. He blew him into smithereens. All they found was a finger. A little slice of the person that Peter had been. Peter wasn't the only casualty. Fifty innocent muggles were caught in the blast which destroyed an entire street. Sirius was found in the middle of the carnage, the only man standing. He didn't struggle but he didn't come quietly either. He was laughing like a maniac all the way to Azkaban.

It was in the headlines for weeks afterwards. It took a team of forty obliviators to sort it out.

I received news only two days after that incident that my last living friends had been tortured into insanity by the Lestranges and Bart Crouch Junior. Frank and Alice were doomed to spend the rest of their miserable existence in the mental ward and Augusta received custody of the last Longbottom.

It was tragedy on a whole new level.

I didn't leave my house for an entire year.

It was the arrival of Mrs Griffon on the anniversary of Amy's death that spurred me into action.

She knocked on my door that morning. Her face had more lines on it than ever and her eyes were empty but she smiled sincerely at me. It suddenly hit me that I wasn't the only one who was lonely.

"Remus dear, I understand how hard it is. I lost Andrew and Amy. I know that it feels as though nothing else matters. I may have lost my daughter, but you are my son. She died. She's gone. But you aren't. It would kill her to see you like this. You may be surviving, but it's time for you to live." The woman said kindly. I fell into her open arms and we mourned the loss of our family and friends.

Mrs Griffon didn't survive to the second anniversary. She died of natural causes, but I knew that the truth was she had died of a broken heart. The Griffon family were reunited and once again, I was left alone, a world apart from all whom I held dear.

That decade was the darkest time of my life. I went to work, but didn't talk. I drank reckless amounts of firewhiskey. More than once, I held a blade to my wrists, contemplating ending the pain. The full moons threatened to finish the job.

Nothing could have surprised me more when none other than Albus Dumbledore apparated into the garden. He knocked politely at the door, making no comment at the waist high grass in the yard, the peeling wallpaper or the dirty piles of robes. He glanced good-naturedly at the dusty photographs in the living room before turning to face me.

"Remus, I want you to work in Hogwarts", he said out of the blue.

"What?" I blinked.

"We find ourselves requiring a replacement teacher for Defence Against the Dark Arts and I know that you're the right wizard for the job." He explained.

"Albus, thank you, but I can't even tell you the last time I picked up a wand. I don't think I'd be able to." I said pathetically.

"It's about Harry, isn't it?" Dumbledore said. The sound of his name knocked the wind out of my lungs and I sank into the musty sofa.

"Sir, please tell me, is he well?" I asked anxiously.

"He has had an eventful start at Hogwarts." Dumbledore answered vaguely. A ghost of a smile appeared on my face. It felt strangely foreign.

"I'll bet he has", I said. "Has he got friends? What house is he in? Can he fly?" Over a decade of questions tumbled out at once.

"He is in Gryffindor", Dumbledore replied. My heart leaped for joy, Lily and James would be so proud. "He has found himself the most loyal of friends in Ronald Weasley and muggleborn Hermione Granger. And yes, he certainly can fly. Youngest player on a house team in over a century. A Seeker."

I smiled fondly as I remembered the bets on what position he would play. Amy had been right, he was a Seeker. I think that's what made me accept the job. I owed Harry the stories about his parents. The stories that no other sane person knew.

"Albus?" I called as Dumbledore exited. "What about Black. Sirius Black."

Dumbledore paused and half turned, a glint in his blue eyes.

"Remember Remus, all is not always how it seems."


	37. Of Impossible Voices

_Another dose of depression for all of my lovely readers, please review!_

* * *

_June 1996_

**Sirius POV:**

Tall, thin with greasy black hair, Severus Snape stood in the hall of the building that I loathed more than any other.

I had spent over a decade in Azkaban, supposedly the worst place in the world, dark, damp and swarming with dementors. And yet 12 Grimmauld Place was almost worse. Walburga Black had been the dementor here and she still was in that blasted portrait of hers. Her sly servant Kreacher lurked in the shadows, muttering obscenities under his breath, driven to insanity after years of confinement. A bit like me.

Everywhere I looked, I was reminded of my dark childhood. Each false Order of Merlin, each dark book was like a punch in the gut. Every room held its own boggart, intent on driving me insane altogether. I had thought that I had escaped, that I was free but I wasn't really. Far from it.

I stared with undisguised disgust at my childhood nemesis in front of me. He called Lily a mudblood, Lily who wouldn't hurt a fly…unless it had the dark mark printed on an arm.

"Black. Clearly you're still moping about doing nothing of use for the Order." Snape said smoothly.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" I bellowed, years of hatred bubbling within me. I whipped out my wand and pushed him savagely against the wall before his fingers even made contact with his wand. I smirked to myself, I still had my lightning reflexes even after all the years in the company of dementors.

"Any last words, Snape?" I asked arrogantly. I wouldn't kill him, just…modify him a bit, starting with his greasy hair.

"Why yes", Snape countered smoothly, his face a perfect blank mask. "You see, due to your precious Godson's inability to control his emotions, he is currently leading his friends into a trap."

I released my grip on Snape's robes and took a startled step backwards.

_Please, not Harry. Anything but Harry._

"What do you mean, Snape?" I choked.

My Godson accounted for my will to live. He was proof that Lily and James had lived. I loved him more than I loved life itself. It was my duty, entrusted to me by my deceased best friends to look after him. Seeing as I could do nothing when in Azkaban, I had to mind him now that I could.

"Potter seemingly saw an image in his mind that was no doubt put there by the Dark Lord himself." Snape said silkily. I froze. "He believes that the Dark Lord has you held hostage in the Department of Mysteries. Arrogant as he is, he cannot wait for proof and instead is on his way to the Ministry with his followers in tow."

"Have you told Dumbledore?" I asked sharply, pulling a cloak on.

"Of course."

"Who's with him?" I interrogated.

"Ronald Weasley, Ginerva Weasley, Granger, Lovegood and Longbottom."

"Can you inform the rest of the Order? I have to go. I have to save Harry." For a moment, I thought that Snape would refuse my simple request but he stiffened at the mention of my Godson's name.

"Very well."

For once, I met Snape's empty black gaze without any disgust.

"Thank you." I said as earnestly as I could. Snape acknowledged it with a curt nod. Dumbledore had wanted civil. We were adults, we could do civil…when the situation called for it.

I disapparated, feeling like when I had left my prison cell in Azkaban for the first time.

The world twisted and contorted around me and then with a crack, I appeared in the middle of an intense scene.

I found myself in the centre of a room with a ceiling so high that I couldn't see it. It was dark and I instantly felt uncomfortable. A veil hung in the middle and I could hear soft, persistent whispers coming from it.

Harry's friends were held by death eaters. Each had a wand, or in Bellatrix's case, a dagger, pressed closely to the neck of their hostage. A wild eyed Harry stood defiantly in front of Lucius Malfoy, reminding me of James standing up to Voldemort. He grasped a glass ball in his hand. A prophecy.

"Don't touch my godson", I snarled and punched Malfoy directly in the face. There was a satisfying crunch as his nose snapped.

"Sirius!" Harry exclaimed.

Several cracks of apparition were heard.

The Order had arrived. Remus, Tonks, Moody and Kingsley were amongst the fighters that joined the scene. The instantly pushed the kids out of the way and shot curses relentlessly at the death eaters.

"Harry", I said urgently, watching Malfoy out of the corner of my eye. "You've done beautifully. You're parents would be so proud but let me take this from here. Protego!" I blocked Malfoys stunner.

"Not a chance! Reducto!" Harry roared, brandishing his own wand. I had never been more proud of him.

Together we fought side by side. It almost felt like back in the early stages of Auror training when James was my partner. Harry too, could practically read my mind. Our attacks were co-ordinated and not one curse got past our defences.

"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted.

He caught Malfoy off-guard. His wand soared out of his hand and clattered to the ground ten metres away from him. There was an expression of disbelief on his face. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Nice one James!" I said without thinking. Harry knocked out Malfoy.

Before I could correct myself, Bellatrix apparated in front of me. My grin widened when I realised that I could finally get rid of her. This time I was sure to push Harry out of harm's way. This one was going to get nasty.

"Sectumsempra!" Bellatrix said, twirling her wand in a lavish motion. I neatly sidestepped the curse, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Aww, come on Bells, you can do better than that", I egged her on, patronising her like she liked to do to her victims.

And better she did. I found myself panting to keep up with her onslaught. She too had beads of sweat dotting her forehead. Behind me I could hear Harry's laboured breathing.

"Stupefy!" I shouted. She narrowly avoided the light.

"Crucio!" She hissed. I swiped my wand to deflect it.

"Reducto!"

"Imperio!"

We were evenly matched.

Suddenly, there was a crack and Dumbledore appeared. A genuine smile replaced the maniacal grin that had been on my face.

Everyone else stopped shooting and I lowered my wand but Bellatrix hadn't seen him. I went to raise my wand, but I was too late.

"Avada Kedavra!"

I heard screams. I could make out Remus' hoarse yell of disbelief but it was Harry's scream that broke my heart. He roared, such pain and loss too raw to bear.

I was falling.

The allure of the veil increased and I fell, limply through it. The voices grew louder.

Ironically, it all went black.

* * *

Voices.

"Oh Merlin."

"Do you think he's okay?"

"Don't be stupid, he's dead, we all are."

Nothing but those voices could have made me sit up so abruptly. I felt as though I was dreaming. It was impossible.

James, Marlene, Amy and Lily were right in front of me. I could see the shadow of a figure behind them.

"Padfoot!" James exclaimed. He had aged more gracefully than I had. His face was still youthful and he didn't have black bags beneath his eyes like I did. His hazel eyes were brimming with tears and he tackled me to the ground in a hug. The girls' laughs echoed around us.

"Thank you Sirius." Lily said sincerely, her emerald eyes moist with tears. Her eyes reminded me of Harry and I was stabbed by a pang of guilt. "For never betraying us. For seeking revenge for us. For minding Harry. We know how much he looks up to you."

"I didn't do well enough." I croaked, a limp in my throat as I realised that I had left Remus…again. And Harry, oh Merlin, I prayed that he wouldn't do anything stupid.

"Don't be stupid Padfoot, you spent a bloody decade in Azkaban for us!" James said, clapping me on the back.

"Padfoot, making history in style! How the hell did you break out of that place?" Amy grinned, making a stab at humour. She had remained a true beauty and yet I got the impression that she was sad. Her amber eyes were harder, I had seen the same look in the eyes of the prisoners in Azkaban. Still, I could feel just how happy she was to see me when she hugged me.

"Marly, I am so sorry." I said profusely. Her big blue eyes stared up at me, putting my puppy dog eyes to shame. "I never got a chance to propose." She cut me off with a kiss. James wolf-whistled. Lily cheered. Amy turned away, finally having given in to the tears.

"Who's that behind you Faolan?" I asked suddenly. The figure came into view and I gasped in realisation.


	38. Signature Move

_For my reviewers_

* * *

_The Battle of Hogwarts May 2__nd__ 1998_

**Remus POV**

I stared in disbelief at the young man in front of me. The son of two of the best people I had ever met. I couldn't call him a boy anymore. He bore the weight of the war just as much as any grown wizard, perhaps even more.

He stood in the room of requirement and for the first time I saw some of James in his stature. The previously withdrawn boy had usually slouched in a corner, easily overlooked but in that room he stood proudly, confident in his orders.

He looked worse for wear. So did Ron and Hermione, his friends who had stuck with him through all of those months on the run. Their hair was overgrown and matted. Harry's had never been so wild. Their complexions were pale almost to the point where they looked ill. There was no disguising the dark shadows beneath their eyes.

They all bore new injuries. Most were simple scrapes or bruises but Harry boasted an impressive circular mark on his neck. Ron's shoulder was laced with a scar. I sadly took in the word mudblood traced into Hermione's skin. No, it would be a mark of disrespect to call them children.

The Order made a circle around the only son of a Marauder. I could feel the presence of Tonks behind me. Tonks being a young metamorphmagus witch who for some reason had an infatuation with me. I had always refused her. I used the excuse that I was a werewolf but the truth was that it would feel as though I'd be betraying Amy. Even if she had been dead for eighteen years.

"We're fighting", Harry announced. The kids that made up 'Dumbledore's Army' flocked around him, cheering. I made my way through to the Boy-Who-Lived to give him my luck. He pushed an eager young Colin Creevey out of the way to fly into my arms.

"I'm so glad you're okay", I whispered into his hair.

"Good luck out there Moony", he replied.

And then the stolen moment was over.

_"Give me Harry Potter and you will be rewarded. You have until midnight." _The hissing voice of Lord Voldemort announced across Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. But Harry remained at Hogwarts, unbetrayed. Protection had been added to the school. The Slytherin's had been banished. Snape had been driven away. The Order had been called.

Before I knew it, I was in the middle of a battle. A battle that dwarfed any other of its kind. The Battle of Hogwarts.

I stared in silent disbelief at the sight of Voldemort's troops rallying towards us. The protection had been brought down. Defences had failed. I could hear Tonk's and Kingley's heavy breathing from behind me. The group of seven students, a mixture of Ravenclaw's and Hufflepuff's were stunned into silence. Even the Whomping Willow had claimed some victims, sweeping several foolish death eaters off their feet and hurling them into the dark night sky.

"We need reinforcements", Kingsley said in his baritone voice as the forces raced across the bridge. I counted six giants, twelve acramantula and a swarm of masked individuals heading towards us.

"It is the quality of ones convictions that determines success, not the number of followers", I replied calmly, brandishing my wand as the screams from the other side of the castle assaulted my ears. I winced as I saw a giant squish two figures with one well-placed foot. I prayed that they weren't students.

"Who said that?" Tonks asked curiously. She had seen a lot fighting with the Aurors but nothing compared to this. I saw the fear in her eyes and smiled briefly, wondering why she wasn't placed in Gryffindor rather than Hufflepuff.

"Me", I answered.

The giants neared the castle, each footstep causing the ground to shake. Grawp raced forward and punched him clumsily. For the first time I appreciated that he truly was small for his kind.

"Go get 'em Grawpie!" Hagrid bellowed, audible even above the yells. "Aim fer the eyes!" He instructed the skeletal Thestrals. They screeched back at him, the eerie sound of their cry joining the chorus of screams.

I took careful aim and shot a stunner at a death eater who was still several hundred yards away. He didn't expect the attack and fell to the ground. Kingsley and Tonks followed my lead and we began taking down as many of the hooded figures as we could.

We had barely even disabled a dozen death eaters before several horrific shrieks alerted us to the fact that the courtyard was no longer a death eater free zone. My thoughts quickly flashed to the two seventh year students, a Gryffindor called Dean Thomas and a Ravenclaw called Cho Chang. They had been the first line of defence on the bridge. I prayed that they were still alive.

Three death eaters led a dozen acramantula on to the scene. We stood back to back. An unspoken promise to defend each other passed between us.

"Kingsley,Tonks and I will take care of the Death Eaters. Aim for the acramantula's underbellies." I instructed the petrified students. I briefly closed my eyes and forced myself to breath.

And then they were upon us. They were three men, their masks had slipped when they were fighting. They all bore injuries, one moved with a limp. Another had a glassed over look in his eyes. He moved sluggishly which led me to believe that he was imperiused. I almost felt sorry for him but then he sent the cruciatus curse at Tonks which I angrily deflected. So much for sympathy.

I recognised the third as Dolohov, the death eater that had cornered Amy on more than one occasion. He had been one of the five that were responsible for killing Gideon and Fabian Prewett. He was also part of the group that tortured Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity. He was the reason that Neville's parents didn't even recognise him.

I disarmed the imperiused wizard within minutes and I knocked him out, choosing against taking his life seeing as he was cursed.

Kingsley was occupied with Dolohov. Both were competent wizards and Kingsley, who loathed the use of dark magic had been forced to use some of the bloodier spells in his repertoire to keep up with the ferocity of Dolohov's onslaught.

I worked with Kingley, leaving Tonks to deal with the less experienced individual who she already had the upperhand with. All my hatred for Dolohov was like a much needed surge of energy.

"Sectumsempra!" I roared, using Snape's old version of the cutting curse. Dolohov deflected it with a swipe of his wand. He smirked at me, almost daring me to do my worst.

Without warning, an explosion racked the castle almost from its core. The unmistakeable sound of a wall collapsing rumbled not too far away. A wave of dust filled the air. Then there was a scream. A horrible, heart wrenching scream.

The force of the explosion had knocked Tonks right off her feet in a blur of bubblegum pink and a stream of obscenities. The death eater she had been battling may have been young and inexperienced but he knew how to take advantage of the situation.

I knew what was going to happen just before it did.

It was like Amy all over again. I could see it but my feet were rooted to the ground.

"Avada Kedavra!"

The beam of green light soared towards Tonks who had been on the ground. She screamed and twisted to dodge the curse but a mixture of obstacles and injuries hampered her movement. The curse hit her and the life faded from her dark eyes.

Tears sprung to my eyes at the sight of the young Auror dead on the ground. I may not have been in love with her but I loved her like a sister. She was almost like Lily to me.

Without thinking, I barged forward and physically tackled the death eater to the ground. I wrestled and took advantage of his surprise. I punched him several times and hit his head against the concrete until he was knocked out. I dropped him and watched as a pool of blood formed around his head.

What had I done?

I had always tried to reject the animal within but I had acted just like an animal, so vicious and bloodthirsty. I had wanted him to suffer. I was disgusted with myself. What would Amy have thought of my actions?

I didn't even see the curse headed towards me.

Not until it was too late.

Like Tonks had moments ago, I yelled in surprise. I too, tried to stop it. Just as Amy had, all of those years ago, I brought my wand up to defend myself. I uttered the first curse that came to mind. It brought a small smile to my face.

_"Expelliarmus is a useful spell, Harry, but the Death Eaters seem to think it is your signature move, and I urge you not to let it become so!"_

My words of wisdom and yet ironically, there I was using the exact spell I had discouraged him from using.

The red light was no match for the green. It flickered and then went out.

"Good luck Harry", I whispered.

Then the green light consumed me and I thought no more.


	39. Back to the Present

**_Thank you so much for the reviews!_**

* * *

**Sirius POV:**

We watched in horror as the Battle of Hogwarts unfolded before our helpless sight. We could view what happened back down on Earth through a device similar to a pensieve. Amy cried out as Remus was struck by the green light.

"Remus!" She cried. She turned, with tears in her eyes, frantically looking around her. She looked as though she expected him to appear out of thin air.

"Moony", I muttered.

"They've got the diadem! It was in the Room of Requirement!" Lily exclaimed.

"Trust Voldemort to underestimate our son", James beamed proudly.

"So that's the diary, the ring, the locket, the cup and now the diadem down. So it's just the snake left." I stated, counting off each horcrux on a finger.

"Wait." Amy suddenly said. "What the hell is he doing?"

We frowned and glanced back at the image before us.

"Snape's dead!" I hollered gleefully, forcing myself to look bashful at the glare Lily shot at me.

"He gave Harry a memory", she said in wonder.

"Why did Harry take it?" James asked. "Merlin, I hope Snape doesn't show up here!"

"I doubt he will", Amy said stiffly. "There's more to Snape than meets the eye and I think we're about to find out exactly what he's been hiding." Her eyes still darted around and I could see how worried she was that Remus had 'gone on' without her.

"What in the name of Merlin is Harry doing?" Marlene exclaimed. "He told Neville to kill the snake!"

"Neville can be trusted." Lily said coldly to Marlene. "He's already proven that ten times over."

"It is a bit odd though Lils, you have to admit", James said.

"He's going to the forest!" I yelped.

"Harry!"

"No!"

"You've come so far!"

"Don't give up!"

"What's happening?" Amy asked. She pointed at me and then Lily and James in turn. Our bodies were glowing slightly.

"Don't leave!" Marlene exclaimed.

But it didn't seem as though we had a choice.

"I love you!" I called. I caught a glimpse of Marlene's and Amy's distraught faces and then they blinked out of existence.

We found ourselves hovering above the leaf littered floor of the Forbidden Forest. The tall coniferous trees loomed above us, sheltering us from the starry night sky. The only light came from the almost full moon.

"Harry", Lily said tenderly, tears in her emerald eyes. Harry's mouth fell open slightly as he took us all in. His lip was cut and was swollen. A shallow cut laced his forehead where there was also an impressive purple bruise. His chest heaved with emotion and he finally looked into the eyes he had inherited.

"I'm the last horcrux", he admitted. I saw a flicker of fear in his earnest eyes and with a jolt I remembered that he was only seventeen.

"No, you can't be!" James spluttered.

Harry smiled softly, surveying his father for the first time if you didn't count the Mirror of Erised and their brief encounter at the graveyard. He took in the familiar tousled black hair and cheekbones. He began to trudge through the undergrowth and we followed him.

"I am. It happened that night in Godric's Hollow. Voldemort has to kill me. And then Ron, Hermione or Neville can finish him for good." His voice caught on his friends' names. "Oh Merlin, I'm terrified."

"You have a right to be", Remus smiled. There would be time to talk with Remus later, at that moment I savoured every syllable Harry uttered.

"You've been so brave", James complimented. I could see the longing to hold his son that burned in his eyes but somehow I knew that we couldn't embrace him.

"Does it hurt?" He asked innocently. Again, I had to remind myself that he was barely of age.

"It's quicker and easier than falling asleep", I said as calmly as I could.

"I'm sorry", Harry confessed, still facing me. His gaze flickered at Lily, James and finally rested on Remus.

"For what?" I frowned.

"It's my fault that you're all dead. You should all be alive. Mum, Dad, you died to save me. Sirius, if I hadn't raced off to the ministry than you'd still be here. Remus, if I hadn't returned to Hogwarts you wouldn't have died. Neither would Tonks, or F-Fred."

"Fred's dead?" Lily asked sadly.

Harry took a shaky breath. Several tears leaked from his eyes.

"A wall crushed him", he said weakly.

"Harry, you listen to me, none of it is your fault", Remus said, sounding remarkably like a teacher.

"Harry we died for you because we love you", Lily added.

"And we don't regret it either", James said.

"Not one bit", I contributed.

"Why did everyone I love have to leave?" Harry asked, on the verge of hysteria.

"We were with you the whole time", Remus said.

"We never left", I explained.

"We were in your heart", James said, pointing at Harry's chest.

"Always", Lily breathed.

Harry opened his mouth to reply.

"Harry, what're yeh doin'? Harry, no!" Hagrid's alarmed voice bellowed.

The stone slipped from Harry's sweaty grasp. We watched the scene as though through a thick fog. Harry faced Voldemort, resigned to his fate. Lily sobbed and a teary-eyed James wrapped his arms around her. I couldn't tear myself away from watching.

"Avada Kedavra!

Hagrid yelled, Lily screamed, James roared, Remus shouted and I shrieked.

The light seemed to illuminate the entire forest. It enveloped the Boy-Who-Lived, the Chosen One, the young man who never wanted the fame. It lifted him off of his feet and propelled him backwards. He hit the ground with a sickening thud, sprawled lifelessly on the earthy floor. At almost the same time Lord Voldemort took a shaky step backwards and collapsed in a heap on the ground.


	40. There Was Hope

We stood, staring stupidly at the spot where our friends had disappeared.

"Where did they go?" Marlene asked, her lower lip trembling. We both knew just how horrible it was to be separated from the one you loved. She had survived without him for over fourteen years. I was on eighteen and counting. I knew that I hadn't much longer to wait. My husband had passed on to our realm and as terrible as I knew it was, I was delighted about it.

"They won't be long", I vowed, fervently hoping that I was right. The third member of our party remained silent.

I didn't know how to feel. I prayed that they would return, that they hadn't gone on without us. I wanted Remus so badly, to be able to hug him and kiss him again.

Suddenly, four balls of light appeared and gradually twisted into the forms of Lily, James, Sirius and Remus. Lily was balling crying. She moaned 'he's dead' repeatedly. A distraught James tried to comfort her.

He looked so much younger than he had moments before his death. The worry lines on his forehead weren't as obvious, his hair was peppered with less grey and the shadows beneath his eyes had receded.

"Amy!" He exclaimed. His voice cracked and he ran forward. I raced to meet him in the middle. He picked me up as though I weighed less than air and swung me around, kissing me wherever he could. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. Our salty tears mixed as they rolled down our cheeks.

In that moment the stars aligned. Moony and Faolan were reunited.

"I missed you so much", he groaned into my ear.

"You rejected Tonks for me", I said in wonder.

"I never stopped loving you", he whispered back. He gazed over my shoulder. "Who's that?"

He motioned towards the young woman behind me. My height exactly, the seventeen year old was startlingly familiar. She had long wavy, tawny hair that flowed to her waist. Her features matched Remus' and she had my golden eyes.

"Remus meet our daughter, Nadia Hope Lupin." I smiled, succumbing once more to tears as Nadia rushed forward to hug her father. Remus was completely in shock. He hugged and kissed and prodded his daughter to make sure she was real.

"How was it possible?" He finally asked, his arms wrapped tightly around both me and Nadia.

"It was a miracle. When I most needed hope, I got it. Literally. My only regret is that she never got a chance to live properly. She didn't get to meet Harry and Ron and Hermione and Neville."

"It's okay mum, it's not your fault and I'm sure I'll get to know them when they join us." Nadia smiled, clutching on to her father's arm.

Without warning, we all began to glow.

At Hogwarts Harry bellowed "Protego!" protecting Molly Weasley from certain death.

"He's alive!" Bellowed Hagrid.

"He's alive!" We whispered above.

The world shimmered around us.

"Is it time, mum?" Nadia asked me, fear in her amber eyes.

"We have everyone. Harry will be okay. Lily and James can move on. So can Sirius and Marlene. Your dad's back. It's time." I smiled gently.

We linked hands. I took Nadia's small hand in my right and Remus' calloused palm in my left. With friends and family by my side, I stepped into the unknown just as Voldemort fell lifelessly to the ground, defeated by the Boy-Who-Lived.

There was hope.

**The End**

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Thank you so very much to all who reviewed. A special thanks to Mystic Viccer, warewolf-princess558750 and SiriusBlackCat whose reviews inspired me to continue writing. Well done to all who predicted Nadia's reappearance. Thanks once again,

Ponygallack0911


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